The DA Reads the Sorcerer's Stone
by PolkaDotSocks
Summary: Neville finds an interesting book in the Room of Requirements and presents it to the D.A.  Watch their reactions as they learn more than they ever imagined about their friend, Harry Potter. It's based in their 7th year, hopefully it's not too cliché.
1. The Discovery

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm new at writing so sorry if it's not the best! I'm going to try and update regularly, but I have basketball practice everyday and I'm taking really advanced classes for my age, so it may be tough. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, that belongs to J. K. Rowling**

**The ****D.A. ****Reads ****the ****Sorcerer****'****s ****Stone**

Chapter One

**The Discovery **

As Neville Longbottom sneaked through the hallway he couldn't help but think of how both he and Hogwarts had changed since he had first come to the school. At first glance, the castle was intriguing and full of wonder. It seemed as it was enormous and he would never be able to find his way around. Now, it was a dark and cruel place that appeared to not have enough hiding spots to be able to conceal him in.

He stopped for a moment and listened to see if anyone was coming then quietly kept walking. Many times before, Neville had been punished by the Carrows for sneaking out after hours in the castle, but this time was different. Neville was supposedly "no longer at Hogwarts" and if he got caught now he would get punished much more severely than before.

Finally, he had arrived. Neville slipped through the door in the wall and quietly closed the entrance to the Room of Requirements behind him. He didn't even have time to turn around before a wand was at the back of his neck and a familiar voice spoke,

"Who are you and what do you want?" asked the soft, but at the moment demanding, voice of Ginny Weasley. Neville smiled. It was remarkable just how far the DA had come since it was first created. He slowly pulled his cloak down off of his head and turned.

"Now Ginny, you wouldn't want to lose one of our members would you? We are depleting as it is." He said as he surveyed the room. Most of the DA was on their feet wands pointed at him, but slowly lowering as they realized who it was. Several were treating new cuts and bruises, and only a few were cowering behind the many couches and chair that filled the room.

"Neville," Ginny said breathing a sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that, you prick!" She said slapping him on the side of the head. He laughed and walked past Ginny, to be able to speak to the group as a whole.

"Okay everyone, I've got some bad news." Neville said his voice turning serious.

"More?" Seamus asked from the corner, where he was nursing a fresh gash on his arm, "Great. Exactly what we need." He declared sarcastically and the rest of the DA started to whisper in confused voices.

"I'm serious." Neville exclaimed, getting them to quite down. "You all need to be more careful. They are after me, and technically I'm not at the school anymore. Every one of you needs to lie low and try not to bring too much attention to yourselves. Understand?" He asked looking around the room until each and every one of them nodded their head in understanding.

"But, what about you Neville? Where will you stay?" Luna questioned softly from one of the plush couches, her eyebrows scrunched together in worry.

"Me? I'll stay in here." He said looking around the room "We will have to get it to change into a room for living in, but that shouldn't be too difficult." Neville smiled. "You all should get back to your common rooms soon, before it gets to be too late." Ginny looked at him closely for a moment before saying,

"He's right. Come on, we need to go." Everyone started to head for the door and one by one exited. Neville turned around and started to decide how to change the room to fit his needs.

"Neville," Ginny said, making Neville turn back around. She and Luna were the last at the door, halfway out. "Are you sure you're going to be fine all alone in here?" she inquired looking at him cautiously.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'll let you know when the next meeting will be." He said pulling out his coin and holding it up so she could see it.

"All right, but don't hesitate to message us to come." She answered grudgingly. The girls both gave him one last glance before the slipped through the door and it closed gently behind them. Neville sighed, and turned back around.

While he had been turned the other way the Room of Requirements had changed to meet his needs. Now, the couches and chairs were moved to one side of the room and on the other side, was a door to a bathroom and a hammock-like bed. His trunk and possessions were underneath the bed. It was just what he required. Neville sauntered over to the bed and flopped down.

_Yow! _Neville sat up_. __What __was __that? __A __book? _He picked up the hardback carefully in his hands._What __was __a __book __doing __on __his __bed? __The __Room __of __Requirements __wasn__'__t __trying __to __get __him __to __read , __was __it?_

He turned the book over to read it's front. As soon as he examined the cover his eyes became as large as the china saucers his grandmother kept in a cabinet.

_**Harry **__**Potter **__**and **__**the **__**Sorcerer's **__**Stone**__? __No, __this __couldn__'__t __be __true! __Harry __had __briefly __told __him __about __the __Sorcerer__'__s __Stone, __and __there __is __no __way __that __he __has __a __book. __He __would __hate __to __have __even __more __attention. __What __was __going __on?_ All these thoughts went through Neville's head in just a few of seconds.

Neville grabbed his coin to send an alert to Ginny, Luna, and the others. Although just as he was about to send the message he paused. He couldn't send it now, they had probably just gotten to their dorms and it would be too risky for them to try and come back. So Neville put the date for tomorrow and 4 o'clock, so he could tell them, but for now they could all get some sleep.

Neville turned the book back around and read the description.

**Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to catch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.**

_What __all __had __Harry __done __while __at __Hogwarts? _He thought amazed_._

**All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley, a great big swollen spoiled bully. **

Neville's jaw hardened. Ron and Hermione had told him enough about the Dursleys to know that they didn't treat Harry very well.**  
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**Harry's room is in a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years. **

His jaw dropped. He couldn't believe that Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, had been treated quite this badly.

**But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger. **

Neville smiled, remembering his own Hogwarts letter arriving.

**The letter is an invitation to an incredible place that Harry will find unforgettable. For it is at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that Harry finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him if he can survive the encounter.**

_So __it__'__s __true, __the __book __is __real_. Neville thought. He decided that tomorrow he would ask all of the DA whether or not they would want to read it. With that last decision he placed the book on the floor and drifted off to sleep.

**A/N: So, good? Bad? So-so? Tell me what you think (nicely please). Also I know that Ginny and Luna left Hogwarts before Neville "disappeared", but it worked better for me this way. I can change it if you want me to though. Oh, and I may need a beta, anyone up for the job?**

**Also if you tried to read it before and it was kinda squished together, sorry I'm trying to work it out.**

**Thanks!**

** ~ PolkaDotSocks ~**


	2. The Boy Who Lived

**A/N: Ok, thank you guys sooooo much for all the favorites, alerts and reviews! I appreciate it more than you could ever imagine! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! (Wow, that was a lot of exclamation points! ;))**

**Also sorry! I was trying to upload it, but something keep messing up, so its all good now!**

**Also thanks to my amazing beta, TheDeepestDepths!**

Chapter Two

**The Boy Who Lived**

The next morning, the rest of Dumbledore's Army woke up to find that they had a meeting later that day. It was strange, having a gathering two days in a row - but no one was going to miss out on it.

Several times that day, many of the members tried to communicate with one another but, like he had assumed, the Carrows were watching them all very carefully.

In the last class of the day, Ginny and Luna were both on the edge of their seats, waiting for the bell to ring. They couldn't help but think of all the things that could have gone wrong with Neville.

As Professor McGonagall called Ginny up to her desk to turn in her essay from the previous week , she passed on a message for Neville.

"Do tell Longbottom that I talked to his grandmother, and she is fine. She also wanted him to know that she is very proud of her grandson and wants him to keep rebelling." She whispered quietly, with a small smile on her face.

The young Gryffindor was shocked, to say the least.

"How-?" Ginny started, but Professor McGonagall just winked and called up the next person.

Before she could try to ask her anything else, however, the bell rang. Ginny, with Luna in tow, bolted out the classroom door to head for the seventh floor.

Neville was asleep on one of the many couches that filled the Room of Requirement when the girls arrived. They slammed the door behind them, causing Neville jump and fall off the side of the couch, landing flat on his face.

"Smooth." Ginny said, laughter in her voice.

Neville just groaned and sat up. "What are you doing here? I told you to come at 4."

"It is 4 Neville. Everyone else will be coming in a few minutes." Luna confirmed peacefully.

"What?" Neville leaped up and started to pace. "But I didn't have time to prepare. I mean, how do I say this? What if they freak out? _Should_ I tell them?" He asked agitated.

"Tell us what Neville?" asked Hannah Abbott as she came in, followed by the rest of the D.A.

Neville froze as the rest of the members came into the room and sat down. Once they were all settled, they looked up at Neville, who was still hadn't moved.

He was afraid that some of them would start to panic when they knew that somehow the Room of Requirement made a book about their friend's life. Who knew if it could make a book about their lives, or if it decided your future for you? Neville didn't really know much about playing with time but he did know enough to know just how dangerous it could be.

Finally he plucked up his Gryffindor courage and said "I've found a book."

"A book? You called us all here because you found a book?" Seamus said disbelieving "It's official you've finally cracked."

"I'm fine." Neville declared irritated. "This isn't just any book. It's called **Harry****Potter****and****the****Sorcerer****'****s****Stone.** It's about Harry's first year."

There was a shocked silence throughout the room.

"When I saw Harry was in our year, I read all the books I could about him. I've never even heard about that book Neville, it can't possibly be accurate." Anthony Goldstein said hesitantly. "Especially if it is only about first year, I could have read it my now."

"You don't believe me, do you?" Neville realized, looking around the room. None of his friends would meet his eyes.

"Neville -" Ginny began, "it just doesn't seem possible. I mean, it's not like there's any proof it's real."

Neville was now extremely annoyed. He had gotten so worked up, thinking they would panic, but they don't even believe him!

"You want proof?" he asked Ginny, walking over to his bed and picking up the book, and tossing it to her. "There's the proof! Read the back."

She caught it gracefully and flipped it over. Slowly her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, as she read the words that Neville had the night before. When she looked back up at him all she could do was nod.

"It's true?" Justin Finch-Fletchley asked aghast, looking between Neville and Ginny. Ginny tossed the book to him and he had the same reaction as her. Slowly the book was passed one by one around the room until everyone had read the back of the book.

Finally, the book was passed back to Neville and he smugly asked, "Are we ready to read it now?"

In response he received many nodding heads and he began to read.

**The Boy Who Lived.**

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

"You welcome Neville," Luna responded, staring off into space.

**They ****were ****the ****last ****people ****you'd ****expect ****to ****be ****involved ****in ****anything ****strange ****or ****mysterious, ****because ****they ****just ****didn't ****hold ****with ****such ****nonsense.**

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.**

"Yes, because every man needs a large mustache to make up for being overweight!" Padma exclaimed sarcastically.

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.**

"Isn't she a nosy one!" Lavender Brown said to Parvati, who nodded in agreement.

"They're ones to talk," whispered Michael Corner to some of the other Ravenclaws.

**The ****Dursleys ****had ****a ****small ****son ****called Dudley** **and ****in ****their ****opinion ****there ****was ****no ****finer ****boy ****anywhere.**

"Dudley? That's an awful name!" Terry Boot exclaimed.

"Says the boy named Terry," Ernie Macmillan said to Susan Bones, snickering.

"Oh, be nice, you," she reprimanded, but she couldn't restrain a smile.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"Why not? The Potters are the best!" Dennis Creevey exclaimed, confused.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister,**

"Why? Having a sister's amazing!" the Patil twins exclaimed.

**Because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish**

"That's not even a word," Hannah said, rolling her eyes.

**As it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street.**

"Well, if any of them were Wizards or Squibs, they would probably think 'HOLY MOLY! IT'S THE POTTERS!"' said Ernie screaming the last part.

"You have to remember though, Ernie. This is probably before Harry defeated You-Know-Who," Ginny reminded him, not wanting to set off the Taboo by saying 'Voldemort'.

**The ****Dursleys ****knew ****that ****the ****Potters ****had ****a ****small ****son, ****too, ****but ****they ****had ****never ****even ****seen ****him. ****This ****boy ****was ****another ****good ****reason ****for ****keeping ****the ****Potters ****away; ****they ****didn't ****want Dudley** **mixing ****with ****a ****child ****like ****that.**

"Harry is a great person, you walrus!" Colin declared, defiantly.

**When ****Mr. ****and ****Mrs.****Dursley ****woke ****up ****on ****the ****dull, ****grey ****Tuesday ****our ****story ****starts, ****there ****was ****nothing ****about ****the ****cloudy ****sky ****outside ****to ****suggest ****that ****strange ****and ****mysterious ****things ****would ****soon ****be ****happening ****all ****over ****the ****country. ****Mr.****Dursley ****hummed ****as ****he ****picked ****out ****his ****most ****boring ****tie ****for ****work, ****and ****Mrs.****Dursley ****gossiped ****away ****happily ****as ****she ****wrestled ****a ****screaming Dudley** **into ****his ****high ****chair.**

"He picked out his most boring tie? Who does that?" Terry asked confused.

"One of my teachers, before Hogwarts, would wear a different tie everyday. They were always really colorful or strange." Justin said, smiling at the memory.

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.**

"Ever since I saw Hedwig, I have always wanted a snowy owl." Lavender said dreamily.

**At half ****past ****eight, ****Mr.****Dursley ****picked ****up ****his ****briefcase, ****pecked ****Mrs.****Dursley ****on ****the ****cheek, ****and ****tried ****to ****kiss Dudley** **good-bye****but****missed,****because Dudley** **was ****now ****having ****a ****tantrum ****and ****throwing ****his ****cereal ****at ****the ****walls.**

"Well, isn't he just lovely," muttered Zacharias, his nose wrinkled in distaste.

"Odd, he reminds me of you," Ginny commented quietly.

"What was that?" he asked, turning towards her.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, don't worry about it," she responded, an innocent look on her face.

"**Little ****tyke," ****chortled ****Mr.****Dursley ****as ****he ****left ****the ****house. ****He ****got ****into ****his ****car ****and ****backed ****out ****of ****number ****four's ****drive.**

"If he's anything like his father, he's very far from little," Anthony mumbled disgusted.

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar — a cat reading a map.**

"Animagus," Dennis said smiling.

"Oh, really? How, exactly, would you know that?" Colin asked, looking at him with doubt.

"Trust me, dearest brother, I know. In fact, I bet five Galleons that this Animagus is McGonagall," he said smugly.

"There's no way it's McGonagall. You're on!" Colin replied.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen — then he jerked his head around to look again.**

"It's called a cat, dimwit!" exclaimed Seamus.

**There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. **

**Mr.****Dursley ****blinked ****and ****stared ****at ****the ****cat. ****It ****stared ****back. ****As ****Mr.****Dursley ****drove ****around ****the ****corner ****and ****up ****the ****road, ****he ****watched ****the ****cat ****in ****his ****mirror. ****It ****was ****now ****reading ****the ****sign ****that ****said Privet ****Drive** — **no, **_**looking **_**at ****the ****sign; ****cats ****couldn't ****read ****maps **_**or **_**signs.**

"Well, obviously. But who says it was a normal cat?" Susan asked, she didn't think the book would focus so much on an ordinary cat, but she didn't know if it was McGonagall or not.

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake**

"Hopefully the car didn't fall over," Neville commented, worried for the car's sake.

A**nd ****put ****the ****cat ****out ****of ****his ****mind. ****As ****he ****drove ****toward ****town ****he ****thought ****of ****nothing ****except ****a ****large ****order ****of ****drills ****he ****was ****hoping ****to ****get ****that ****day.**

"Wait," Parvati interrupted, concerned for this man's sanity, "he was waiting for a large order of what?"

"Just ignore it," Justin answered, not bothered explaining.

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

"They're better than what some of those Muggles wear! I mean, honestly, what kind of man wears a skirt?" Hannah said, shuddering. She was thinking of the time her family went to Scotland on holiday and she had her first encounter with kilts.

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes — the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together.**

"That just sounds…wrong," Michael muttered awkwardly.

**Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt —these people were obviously collecting for something… yes, that would be it.**

"Yes that's it! _'Help __us __find __Better __Homes __for __Dragons'_ and all those sorts of people." Neville mumbled sarcastically.

**The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

"Again, his mind on _what_?" Parvati asked, beginning to feel a little creeped out.

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. _He _didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.**

Ernie snickered, "I bet they looked like idiots."

**Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.**

"'Cause your day isn't complete without a little shouting," Terry said sarcastically.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

"I wish I could have been there." Luna said, sadly. Everyone stared at her as though she had just decided she wanted to become a sumo wrestler.

"Why?" Zacharias asked finally in his snooty voice.

She gazed at him for a moment before saying, "Well, I have always wanted to see a walrus walk," as though it were obvious.

It took a few moments to sink in, but very soon the whole room was cracking up, and rolling on the floor with laughter, amazed that it was Luna, of all people, who said that.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy.**

"You're just too fashionable!" Seamus said slowly and as though every word caused him pain. Or, in other words - just like Goyle.

**This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag,**

"Yes, you simply can't allow them to steal your doughnut," Anthony said seriously.

**that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

"**The ****Potters, ****that's ****right, ****that's ****what ****I ****heard**** —****"**

" — **yes, ****their ****son, ****Harry**** —****"**

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead.**

"Yeah!" The D.A. cheered.

"You do all realize he didn't _really_ die right?" Neville asked laughing, and they all looked down sadly.

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone,**

"Umm? Bless you?" Padma asked.

**and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking… no, he was being stupid.**

"When is he not?" Ginny wondered aloud.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew _was _called Harry.**

"Now, _that_ is just pathetic," several people said.

**He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

"Oh my gosh! Here comes the great Harvey Potter!" Ernie laughed sarcastically.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her — if _he'd _had a sister like that…but all the same, those people in cloaks…**

"Yes, we know how fascinating we are. Please get over it!" Michael cried, starting to get annoyed.

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

"**Sorry," ****he ****grunted, ****as ****the ****tiny ****old ****man ****stumbled ****and ****almost ****fell. ****It ****was ****a ****few ****seconds ****before ****Mr.****Dursley ****realized ****that ****the ****man ****was ****wearing ****a ****violet ****cloak. ****He ****didn't ****seem ****at ****all ****upset ****at ****being ****almost ****knocked ****to ****the ****ground. ****On ****the ****contrary, ****his ****face ****split ****into ****a ****wide ****smile ****and ****he ****said ****in ****a ****squeaky ****voice ****that ****made ****passersby ****stare, ****"Don't ****be ****sorry, ****my ****dear ****sir, ****for ****nothing ****could ****upset ****me ****today! ****Rejoice, ****for ****You-Know-Who ****has ****gone ****at ****last!**

"It sounds like Professor Flitwick." Susan said laughing.

**Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

"Remind me to ask Flitwick how long his arms are. There's no way normal-length arms could have fit," Terry said seriously.

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

"That's terrible!" Luna exclaimed, horrified.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw—and it didn't improve his mood — was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning.**

"The _completely __average_, tabby cat." Colin stated, looking at his younger brother.

**It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

"That does sound like McGonagall's glasses." Justin said, trying to make Colin worried.

"**Shoo!" ****said ****Mr.****Dursley ****loudly.**

"Yeah right, if it is McGonagall - good luck!" Seamus said, laughing.

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

"It's so McGonagall!" Dennis exclaimed. Starting to make an already nervous Colin, feel even more worried.

**Was this normal cat behaviour? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

"Whipped!" Michael said quietly.

"What was that?" Ginny said, an eyebrow raised.

"I said - his stupidity is like a whip to my brain," He said, smiling nervously. He hadn't forgotten how scary Ginny could be.

Ginny just nodded, a smirk on her face.

**Mrs. ****Dursley ****had ****had ****a ****nice, ****normal ****day. ****She ****told ****him ****over ****dinner ****all ****about ****Mrs. ****Next ****Door's ****problems ****with ****her ****daughter ****and ****how Dudley** **had ****learned ****a ****new ****word****("Won't!"). ****Mr. ****Dursley ****tried ****to ****act ****normally. ****When Dudley** **had ****been ****put ****to ****bed, ****he ****went ****into ****the ****living ****room ****in ****time ****to ****catch ****the ****last ****report ****on ****the ****evening ****news:**

"_**And **__**finally, **__**bird-watchers **__**everywhere **__**have **__**reported **__**that **__**the **__**nation's **__**owls **__**have **__**been **__**behaving **__**very **__**unusually **__**today**__**. **__**Although **__**owls **__**normally **__**hunt **__**at **__**night **__**and **__**are **__**hardly **__**ever **__**seen **__**in **__**daylight, **__**there **__**have **__**been **__**hundreds **__**of **__**sightings **__**of **__**these **__**birds **__**flying **__**in **__**every **__**direction **__**since **__**sunrise. **__**Experts **__**are **__**unable **__**to **__**explain **__**why **__**the **__**owls **__**have **__**suddenly **__**changed **__**their **__**sleeping **__**pattern." **__**The **__**news caster **__**allowed **__**himself **__**a **__**grin. **__**"Most **__**mysterious. **__**And **__**now, **__**over **__**to **__**Jim **__**McGuffin **__**with **__**the **__**weather. **__**Going **__**to **__**be **__**any **__**more **__**showers **__**of **__**owls **__**tonight, **__**Jim?"**_

"Imagine if there actually were showers of owls…"Ernie said, staring out to space, trying to imagine it.

He looked back at the rest of the group to see them staring at him as though he was insane.

"_**Well, **__**Ted," **__**said **__**the **__**weather man, **__**"I **__**don't **__**know **__**about **__**that, **__**but **__**it's **__**not **__**only **__**the **__**owls **__**that **__**have **__**been **__**acting **__**oddly **__**today. **__**Viewers **__**as **__**far **__**apart **__**as**__** Kent, **__**Yorkshire, **__**and **__**Dundee**_ _**have **__**been **__**phoning **__**in**__**to **__**tell **__**me **__**that **__**instead **__**of **__**the **__**rain **__**I **__**promised **__**yesterday, **__**they've **__**had **__**a **__**downpour **__**of **__**shooting **__**stars! **__**Perhaps **__**people **__**have **__**been **__**celebrating **__**Bonfire **__**Night **__**early**__** — **__**it's **__**not **__**until **__**next **__**week, **__**folks! **__**But **__**I **__**can **__**promise **__**a **__**wet **__**night **__**tonight."**_

"What the heck is Bonfire Night?" Hannah asked, confused.

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…**

"Nobody whispers about the Potters," Lavender giggled "They scream whenever they see Harry."

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er — Petunia, dear — you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

"Man up, you walrus," Neville muttered.

**As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

Padma and Parvati both shook their heads sadly.

"**No," ****she ****said ****sharply. ****"Why?"**

"**Funny ****stuff ****on ****the ****news," ****Mr. ****Dursley ****mumbled. ****"Owls****… ****shooting ****stars****… ****and ****there ****were ****a ****lot ****of ****funny-looking ****people ****in ****town ****today****…****"**

"You're the funny looking one!" Susan muttered angrily.

"_**So?**_**" ****snapped ****Mrs.****Dursley.**

"**Well, ****I ****just ****thought****… ****maybe****… ****it ****was ****something ****to ****do ****with****… ****you ****know****…**_**her **_**crowd."**

"Excuse me? 'Her crowd', what is that supposed to mean?" Ginny exclaimed.

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son — he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

"**I ****suppose ****so," ****said ****Mrs.****Dursley ****stiffly.**

"**What's ****his ****name ****again? ****Howard, ****isn't ****it?"**

"And there's another wrong name. He didn't mention that one earlier," Justin muttered.

"**Harry. ****Nasty, ****common ****name, ****if ****you ****ask ****me."**

"**Oh, ****yes," ****said ****Mr.****Dursley, ****his ****heart ****sinking ****horribly. ****"Yes, ****I ****quite ****agree."**

"Well, I think it's a wonderful name," Ginny stated stiffly.

**He ****didn't ****say ****another ****word ****on ****the ****subject ****as ****they ****went ****upstairs ****to ****bed. ****While ****Mrs.****Dursley ****was ****in ****the ****bathroom, ****Mr.****Dursley ****crept ****to ****the ****bedroom ****window ****and ****peered ****down ****into ****the ****front ****garden. ****The ****cat ****was ****still ****there. ****It ****was ****staring ****down Privet ****Drive** **as ****though ****it ****were ****waiting ****for ****something.**

"Dun dun duuun," Anthony muttered sarcastically.

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out that they were related to a pair of — well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters_were _involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind… He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on — he yawned and turned over — it couldn't affect _them_…**

"You watch - he just jinxed it," Ernie declared.

**How very wrong he was.**

"Bada bing, bada boom." Ernie said, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows at Susan, who just smiled and laughed.

**Mr.****Dursley ****might ****have ****been ****drifting ****into ****an ****uneasy ****sleep, ****but ****the ****cat ****on ****the ****wall ****outside ****was**** showing ****no ****sign ****of ****sleepiness. ****It ****was ****sitting ****as ****still ****as ****a ****statue, ****its ****eyes ****fixed ****unblinkingly ****on ****the ****far ****corner ****of Privet ****Drive. ****It ****didn't ****so ****much ****as ****quiver ****when ****a ****car ****door ****slammed ****on ****the ****next ****street, ****nor ****when ****two ****owls ****swooped ****over head. ****In ****fact, ****it ****was ****nearly midnight** **before ****the ****cat ****moved ****at ****all.**

"Didn't she even stop to eat?" Seamus asked, horrified.

The girls just rolled their eyes. Boys and their appetites.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

"Scary." Terry said nervously, wondering what was going to happen.

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

The D.A. all started to laugh as Terry blushed madly. The so called 'scary' guy was Dumbledore.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

"Yeah! Go Dumbledore!" Neville exclaimed, then whispered to Hannah, "So, what was it he should have known?"

She just laughed and shook her head.

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

"What is that thing?" Zacharias asked to the rest of the room, who just shrugged.

**He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

"And now he looks insane, talking to a cat." Ginny said laughing at the image.

"**Fancy ****seeing ****you ****here, ****Professor ****McGonagall."**

"Yes! Pay up, brother!" Dennis shouted running around the room madly, as Colin got out the Galleons he owed and grudgingly handed them over.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. "How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

"Dennis knew it was you, of course _Dumbledore_ would." Seamus said rolling his eyes.

"You do realize you're not talking to McGonagall, right?" Lavender asked, laughing.

Seamus scowled and said, "Of course I do."

"**My ****dear ****Professor, ****I've ****never ****seen ****a ****cat ****sit ****so ****stiffly."**

"I have," Ernie said smiling.

"Was it dead?" Justin asked with an eyebrow raised.

"…Maybe." He said grumpily.

"**You'd ****be ****stiff ****if ****you'd ****been ****sitting ****on ****a ****brick ****wall ****all ****day," ****said ****Professor ****McGonagall.**

"Well then, why did you do it?" Luna asked, confused.

"**All ****day? ****When ****you ****could ****have ****been ****celebrating? ****I ****must ****have ****passed ****a ****dozen ****feasts ****and ****parties ****on ****my ****way ****here."**

"McGonagall? Partying? Are you kidding me, she's the one who always ends our parties in Gryffindor," Neville asked horrified.

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

"**Oh ****yes, ****everyone's ****celebrating, ****all ****right," ****she ****said ****impatiently. ****"You'd ****think ****they'd ****be ****a ****bit ****more ****careful, ****but ****no**** — ****even ****the ****Muggles ****have ****noticed ****something's ****going ****on. ****It ****was ****on ****their ****news."**

"But, why are they celebrating?" Padma asked, confused.

**She ****jerked ****her ****head ****back ****at ****the ****Dursleys' ****dark ****living-room ****window. ****"I ****heard ****it. ****Flocks ****of ****owls****… ****shooting ****stars****… ****Well, ****they're ****not ****completely ****stupid. ****They ****were ****bound ****to ****notice ****something. ****Shooting ****stars ****down ****in Kent** — **I'll ****bet ****that ****was ****Dedalus ****Diggle. ****He ****never ****had ****much ****sense."**

"Alright, this is the second time they have mentioned shooting stars. Do they mean actual shooting stars, or the broomstick 'Shooting Star'?" asked Michael, confused.

They all pondered this for a moment before Neville said "I would assume they weren't talking about the broomstick, but since it's McGonagall, I honestly don't know for sure."

Michael just nodded satisfied and Neville continued to read.

"**You ****can't ****blame ****them," ****said ****Dumbledore ****gently. ****"We've ****had ****precious ****little ****to ****celebrate ****for ****eleven ****years."**

"Eleven years? The First War lasted eleven years," Ginny whispered quietly as she realised what they were reading about.

"This is the night Harry defeated You-Know-Who," she said, looking around at the frightened faces of the D.A.

"**I ****know ****that," ****said ****Professor ****McGonagall ****irritably. ****"But ****that's ****no ****reason ****to ****lose ****our ****heads. ****People ****are ****being ****downright ****careless, ****out ****on ****the ****streets ****in ****broad ****daylight, ****not ****even ****dressed ****in ****Muggle ****clothes, ****swapping ****rumours."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really _has _gone, Dumbledore?"**

"Nope." Susan said sadly.

"**It ****certainly ****seems ****so," ****said ****Dumbledore.**

"So even Dumbledore didn't know he would come back." Terry declared, thinking about how much things had changed.

"**We ****have ****much ****to ****be ****thankful ****for. ****Would ****you ****care ****for ****a ****lemon ****drop?"**

"**A **_**what**_**?"**

"Lemon. Drop." Seamus said slowly.

"**A ****lemon ****drop. ****They're ****a ****kind ****of ****Muggle ****sweet ****I'm ****rather ****fond ****of."**

"Ewww, how can he like those things?" Justin said shuddering.

"**No, ****thank ****you," ****said ****Professor ****McGonagall ****coldly, ****as ****though ****she ****didn't ****think ****this ****was ****the ****moment ****for ****lemon ****drops. ****"As ****I ****say, ****even ****if ****You-Know-Who **_**has **_**gone**** —****"**

"**My ****dear ****Professor, ****surely ****a ****sensible ****person ****like ****yourself ****can ****call ****him ****by ****his ****name? ****All ****this ****'You-Know-Who' ****nonsense**** — ****for ****eleven ****years ****I ****have ****been ****trying ****to ****persuade ****people ****to ****call ****him ****by ****his ****proper ****name: **_**Voldemort**_**."**

Neville had to say You-Know-Who instead of Voldemort otherwise he'd set off the Taboo.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name." "I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, _Voldemort_, was frightened of."**

"It's true." Hannah said.

"I think he is also afraid of Harry," Luna said quietly, making everyone start to think she may not be as crazy as she seems.

"**You ****flatter ****me," ****said ****Dumbledore ****calmly. ****"Voldemort ****had ****powers ****I ****will ****never ****have."**

"Yeah, right!" They all exclaimed.

"Dumbledore's just too noble to use such powers," Parvati stated.

"**Only ****because ****you're ****too**** — ****well**** —**_**noble **_**to ****use ****them."**

"See," said the Gryffindor girl, happy to have the same thoughts as McGonagall.

"**It's ****lucky ****it's ****dark. ****I ****haven't ****blushed ****so ****much ****since ****Madam ****Pomfrey ****told ****me s****he ****liked ****my ****new ****earmuffs."**

"Why would she-" Anthony started.

"Who knows? Who wants to know?" Michael said, his eyes squeezed tightly together and shaking his head**.**

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the _rumours _that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

"I'm not sure I want to know." Ginny acknowledged sadly.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

"Again with the lemon drops." Justin said disgusted.

"**What ****they're **_**saying**_**," ****she ****pressed ****on, ****"is ****that ****last ****night ****Voldemort ****turned ****up ****in ****Godric's ****Hollow. ****He ****went ****to ****find ****the ****Potters.**

The D.A. all looked down sadly. They all knew what was going to happen and didn't want to hear it.

**The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are — are — that they're — _dead_."**

"Poor, Harry. I've always heard they were amazing people," Hannah said sorrowfully.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

"**Lily ****and ****James****… ****I ****can't ****believe ****it****… ****I ****didn't ****want ****to ****believ****e ****it****… ****Oh, ****Albus****…****"**

"She must have really cared for them," Padma stated, feeling bad for one of her favourite Professors.

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know… I know…" he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.**

"Thank god, he wasn't able to." Ginny said, trying not to imagine what life would be like without him.

**But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke — and that's why he's gone."**

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

"There has _got_ to be more to that story." Colin said suspiciously, "I wonder what really happened."

"**It's**** — ****it's **_**true**_**?" ****faltered ****Professor ****McGonagall. ****"After ****all ****he's ****done****… ****all ****the ****people ****he's ****killed****… ****he ****couldn't ****kill ****a ****little ****boy? ****It's ****just ****astounding****… ****of ****all ****the ****things ****to ****stop ****him****… ****but ****how ****in ****the ****name ****of ****heaven ****did ****Harry ****survive?"**

"**We ****can ****only ****guess." ****said ****Dumbledore. ****"We ****may ****never ****know."**

"That's it, Dumbledore knows," Justin stated firmly, not believing the great wizard.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

"Hagrid can never keep anything a secret." Neville said, smiling at the thought of their friend.

"**Yes," ****said ****Professor ****McGonagall. ****"And ****I ****don't ****suppose ****you're ****going ****to ****tell ****me **_**why **_**you're ****here, ****of ****all ****places?"**

"That's a good point, why are they there?" Ernie inquired, just realizing that now.

"**I've ****come ****to ****bring ****Harry ****to ****his ****aunt ****and ****uncle. ****They're ****the ****only ****family ****he ****has ****left ****now."**

"So this is how Harry came to live with them," Michael confirmed thoughtfully.

"**You ****don't ****mean**** – ****you **_**can't **_**mean ****the ****people ****who ****live **_**here**_**?" ****cried ****Professor ****McGonagall, ****jumping ****to ****her ****feet ****and ****pointing ****at ****number ****four. ****"Dumbledore**** — ****you ****can't. ****I've ****been ****watching ****them ****all ****day. ****You ****couldn't ****find ****two ****people ****who ****are ****less ****like ****us. ****And ****they've ****got ****this ****son**** — ****I****s a w****him ****kicking ****his ****mother ****all ****the ****way ****up ****the ****street, ****screaming ****for ****sweets. ****Harry ****Potter ****cannot ****come ****and ****live ****here!"**

"**It's ****the ****best ****place ****for ****him," ****said ****Dumbledore ****firmly. ****"His ****aunt ****and ****uncle ****will ****be ****able ****to ****explain ****everything ****to ****him ****when ****he's ****older. ****I've ****written ****them ****a ****letter."**

"He's kidding right? A letter? They're not going to listen to a letter!" Dennis exclaimed, panic in his voice.

"**A ****letter?" ****repeated ****Professor ****McGonagall ****faintly, ****sitting ****back ****down ****on ****the ****wall. ****"Really, ****Dumbledore, ****you ****think ****you ****can ****explain ****all ****this ****in ****a ****letter?**

"Exactly!" he cried out, hoping McGonagall could stop Harry living there.

**These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!"**

"That's true. I have never met anyone who didn't know of Harry," Lavender said, looking around at the D.A.

"**Exactly." ****said ****Dumbledore, ****looking ****very ****seriously ****over ****the ****top ****of ****his ****half-moon ****glasses. ****"It ****would ****be ****enough ****to ****turn ****any ****boy's ****head. ****Famous ****before ****he ****can ****walk ****and ****talk! ****Famous ****for ****something ****he ****won't ****even ****remember! ****Can ****you ****see ****how ****much ****better ****off ****he'll ****be, ****growing ****up ****away ****from ****all ****that ****until ****he's ****ready ****to ****take ****it?"**

"I can't imagine Harry with a big head," Ernie said thoughtfully.

"That's because you big head is full of air." Susan responded playfully.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

"Eww." Parvati said daintily and everyone nodded in agreement.

"**Hagrid's ****bringing ****him."**

"There letting that oaf bring him?" Zacharias asked.

"He is not an oaf!" Luna said firmly, making him roll his eyes.

"**You ****think ****it**** —**_**wise **_**— ****to ****trust ****Hagrid ****with ****something ****as ****important ****as ****this?"**

"My sentiments exactly," Zacharias mumbled quietly.

"**I ****would ****trust ****Hagrid ****with ****my ****life," ****said ****Dumbledore.**

Luna and most of the D.A. just smiled in agreement.

"**I'm ****not ****saying ****his ****heart ****isn't ****in ****the ****right ****place," ****said ****Professor ****McGonagall ****grudgingly, ****"but ****you ****can't ****pretend ****he's ****not ****careless. ****He ****does ****tend ****to**** — ****what ****was ****that?"**

"Don't tell me that there are Death Eaters in the story already," Hannah said exasperated.

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"What?" Anthony asked, surprised.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so _wild _— long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

"It would be disgusting if his boots were baby dolphins." Susan shuddered.

"**Hagrid," ****said ****Dumbledore, ****sounding ****relieved. ****"At ****last. ****And ****where ****did ****you ****get ****that ****motorcycle?"**

Ginny smiled. That was Sirius' bike.

"**Borrowed ****it, ****Professor ****Dumbledore, ****sir," ****said ****the ****giant, ****climbing ****carefully ****off ****the ****motorcycle ****as ****he ****spoke. ****"Young ****Sirius ****Black ****lent ****it ****to ****me. ****I've ****got ****him, ****sir."**

"Sirius Black?" Terry asked with fear.

"Sirius Black was Harry's Godfather," Neville told to the D.A. who all looked at him in shock before starting to read again.

"**No ****problems, ****were ****there?"**

"**No, ****sir**** — ****house ****was ****almost ****destroyed, ****but ****I ****got ****him ****out ****all ****right ****before ****the ****Muggles ****started ****swarmin' ****around. ****He ****fell ****asleep ****as ****we ****was ****flyin' ****over Bristol."**

The girls cooed in unison.

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"Is it wrong that I always thought that thing was absolutely wicked?" Seamus thought aloud.

"**Is ****that ****where**** —****?" ****whispered ****Professor ****McGonagall.**

"**Yes," ****said ****Dumbledore. ****"He'll ****have ****that ****scar ****forever."**

"Do you think plastic surgery could remove it?" Justin asked. The D.A. just gave him bank stares.

"Never mind..." he muttered embarrassed.

"**Couldn't ****you ****do ****something ****about ****it, ****Dumbledore?"**

"Yes! Please, Dumbledore?" Colin asked.

"You do realize how long ago this was right?" Ginny asked, "And also, he can't hear you." She said slowly.

He just stuck his tongue out at her.

"**Even ****if ****I ****could, ****I ****wouldn't. ****Scars ****can ****come ****in ****handy. ****I ****have ****one ****myself ****above ****my ****left ****knee ****that ****is ****a ****perfect ****map ****of ****the London** **Underground. ****Well**** — ****give ****him ****here, ****Hagrid**** — ****we'd ****better ****get ****this ****over ****with."**

"Darn! I wish I could have seen that before he died." Ernie stated sadly.

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

"**Could ****I**** — ****could ****I ****say ****good-bye ****to ****him, ****sir?" ****asked ****Hagrid. ****He ****bent ****his ****great, ****shaggy ****head ****over ****Harry ****and ****gave ****him ****what ****must ****have ****been ****a ****very ****scratchy, ****whiskery ****kiss. ****Then, ****suddenly, ****Hagrid ****let ****out ****a ****howl ****like ****a ****wounded ****dog.**

"Aww, poor Hagrid." Lavender said, sad for the half-giant.

"**Shhh!" ****hissed ****Professor ****McGonagall, ****"You'll ****wake ****the ****Muggles!"**

"**S-s-sorry," ****sobbed ****Hagrid, ****taking ****out ****a ****large, ****spotted ****handkerchief ****and ****burying ****his ****face ****in ****it. ****"But ****I ****c-c-can't ****stand ****it**** —****Lily ****an' ****James ****dead**** — ****an' ****poor ****little ****Harry ****off ****ter ****live ****with ****Muggles**** —****"**

"**Yes, ****yes, ****it's ****all ****very ****sad, ****but ****get ****a ****grip ****on ****yourself, ****Hagrid, ****or ****we'll ****be ****found," ****Professor ****McGonagall ****whispered, ****patting ****Hagrid ****gingerly ****on ****the ****arm ****as ****Dumbledore ****stepped ****over ****the ****low ****garden ****wall ****and ****walked ****to ****the ****front ****door. ****He ****laid ****Harry ****gently ****on ****the ****door step, ****took ****a ****letter ****out ****of ****his ****cloak, ****tucked ****it ****inside ****Harry's ****blankets, ****and ****then ****came ****back ****to ****the ****other ****two.**

"Harry never had a chance," Anthony said shaking his head, "These people are awful."

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

"When Dumbledore's eyes aren't shiny, it means things are very bad," Michael said in a teasing voice, but knowing that his words were true.

"**Well," ****said ****Dumbledore ****finally, ****"that's ****that. ****We've ****no ****business ****staying ****here. ****We ****may ****as ****well ****go ****and ****join ****the ****celebrations."**

"If you think about it, that's kind of sick. People are celebrating a family being torn apart," Ginny said, looking down at the ground and thinking of her own family situation.

"**Yeah," ****said ****Hagrid ****in ****a ****very ****muffled ****voice, ****"I ****best ****get ****this ****bike ****away. ****G'night, ****Professor ****McGonagall**** — ****Professor ****Dumbledore, ****sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

"**I ****shall ****see ****you ****soon, ****I ****expect, ****Professor ****McGonagall," ****said ****Dumbledore, ****nodding ****to ****her. ****Professor ****McGonagall ****blew ****her ****nose ****in ****reply.**

"I should do that to her," Seamus said smiling as he imagined how she would react.

**Dumbledore ****turned ****and ****walked ****back ****down ****the ****street. ****On ****the ****corner ****he ****stopped ****and ****took ****out ****the ****silver ****Put-Outer. ****He ****clicked ****it ****once, ****and ****twelve ****balls ****of ****light ****sped ****back ****to ****their ****street ****lamps ****so ****that Privet ****Drive** **glowed ****suddenly ****orange ****and ****he ****could ****make ****out ****a ****tabby ****cat****s linking ****around ****the ****corner ****at ****the ****other ****end ****of ****the ****street. ****He ****could ****just ****see ****the ****bundle ****of ****blankets ****on ****the ****step ****of ****number ****four.**

"**Good ****luck, ****Harry," ****he ****murmured. ****He ****turned ****on ****his ****heel ****and ****with ****a ****swish ****of ****his ****cloak, ****he ****was ****gone.**

"He just left him, there?" Hannah questioned horrified, "on the doorstep, at the end of October?"

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley… He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!"**

"So that's it." Neville said, snapping the book shut. Looking around at the rest of the group as they all took in what they had just heard.

"Well? Are you going to keep reading or not?" Zacharias asked.

"I think it's my turn, actually," Ginny said, smiling. She took the book from Neville's hands and turned it to the right page.

**A/N: Also I got a list of all the people in Dumbledore's Army just so you could know:**

**(I'm not going to include Harry, Ron, or Hermione, because they are gone. Also, the people with question marks around them, I don't know if I should bring them in. So if you want any of these people in it PM me or put it in a review. Options are also available on my poll on my profile page.)**

**Hannah Abbot**

**Katie Bell ... ?**

**Susan Bones**

**Terry Boot**

**Lavender Brown**

**Cho Chang ... ?**

**Michael Corner**

**Colin and Dennis Creevey**

**Marietta Edegcomb ... ?**

**Justin Finch-Fletchley**

**Seamus Finnigan**

**Anthony Goldstein**

**Angelina Johnson ... ?**

**Lee Jordan ... ?**

**Neville Longbottom**

**Luna Lovegood**

**Ernie Macmillan**

**Padma Patil**

**Parvati Patil**

**Zacharias Smith**

**Alicia Spinnet ... ?**

**Dean Thomas ... ?**

**Fred and George Weasley ... ?**

**Ginny Weasley**

**Finally, each chapter I'm going to put a question and you all can guess by putting it in a review. At the end of the book I'll put in all the answers. Whoever gets the most right gets something!**

**What is my least favorite HP movie?**

**Thanks!**

**~PolkaDotSocks~**


	3. The Vanishing Glass

**A/N: For now I'm not going to bring anyone new to the story, but maybe next chapter. Also sorry for the kind of late update, I'm trying to update each weekend. I'm on Thanksgiving Break, right now and I'm busy with family stuff, but I will update soon. Again thanks for everything!**

**Thanks to my fantastic beta, TheDeepestDepth.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters in this story. (I wish I did though :( )**

Chapter Two

**The Vanishing Glass**

"**The ****Vanishing ****Glass**," Ginny read.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Terry asked.

"It's probably some accidental magic that Harry did," Neville reasoned.

**Nearly ****ten ****years ****had ****passed ****since ****the ****Dursleys ****had ****woken ****up ****to ****find ****their ****nephew ****on ****the ****front ****step, ****but Privet ****Drive** **had ****hardly ****changed ****at ****all.**

"So they're just as awful as before," Hannah sighed unhappily.

**The ****sun ****rose ****on ****the ****same ****tidy ****front ****gardens ****and ****lit ****up ****the ****brass ****number ****four ****on ****the ****Dursleys' ****front ****door; ****it ****crept ****into ****their ****living ****room, ****which ****was ****almost ****exactly ****the ****same ****as ****it ****had ****been ****on ****the ****night ****when ****Mr.****Dursley ****had ****seen ****that ****fateful ****news ****report ****about ****the ****owls. ****Only ****the ****photographs ****on ****the ****mantel piece ****really ****showed ****how ****much ****time ****had ****passed. ****Ten ****years ****ago, ****there ****had ****been ****lots ****of ****pictures ****of ****what ****looked ****like ****a ****large ****pink ****beach ****ball ****wearing ****different ****colored ****bonnets**

"Why would they put a bonnet on a beach ball?" Dennis asked, confused. No one had an answer for that though.

Ginny smirked, "I think they're talking about Dudley there, actually."

— **but ****Dudley ****Dursley ****was ****no ****longer ****a ****baby, ****and ****now ****the ****photo graphs ****showed ****a ****large ****blond ****boy ****riding ****his ****first ****bicycle, ****on ****a ****carousel ****at ****the ****fair, ****playing ****a ****computer ****game ****with ****his ****father, ****being `****hugged ****and ****kissed ****by ****his ****mother. ****The ****room ****held ****no ****sign ****at ****all ****that ****another ****boy ****lived ****in ****the ****house, ****too.**

"Maybe he's gone!" Colin exclaimed happily.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

"Darn. He's still there," Colin said disappointed.

"You knew he lived there. Why would you think he wouldn't be there any more?" Ginny asked, trying to get him to think logically.

Colin just stuck his tongue out at her.

**"Up! ****Get ****up! ****Now!"**

"Such lovely thing to wake up to," Anthony said.

**Harry ****woke ****with ****a ****start. ****His ****aunt ****rapped ****on ****the ****door ****again.**

**"Up!" ****she ****screeched. ****Harry ****heard ****her ****walking ****toward ****the ****kitchen ****and ****then ****the ****sound ****of ****the ****frying ****pan ****being ****put ****on ****the ****stove. ****He ****rolled ****onto ****his ****back ****and ****tried ****to ****remember ****the ****dream ****he ****had ****been ****having. ****It ****had ****been ****a ****good ****one. ****There ****had ****been ****a ****flying ****motorcycle ****in ****it. ****He ****had ****a ****funny ****feeling ****he'd ****had ****the ****same ****dream ****before.**

"_It __was __only __just __a __dream_," Ernie sang to Susan in a high-pitched screech.

Susan just whacked him in the back of the head.

**His ****aunt ****was ****back ****outside ****the ****door.**

**"Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

"He'd only been gone, what? Two minutes?" Parvati asked, annoyed, "give him some time."

**"Nearly," ****said ****Harry.**

**"Well, ****get ****a ****move ****on, ****I ****want ****you ****to ****look ****after ****the ****bacon. ****And ****don't ****you ****dare ****let ****it ****burn, ****I ****want ****everything ****perfect ****on ****Duddy's ****birthday."**

**Harry groaned.**

"I would too! Who wants to make their fat cousin bacon? Watching him eat it would be disgusting," Justin said, shuddering.

**"What ****did ****you ****say?" ****his ****aunt ****snapped ****through ****the ****door.**

"He didn't say anything!" Lavender said, "Sheesh!"

**"Nothing, ****nothing****…****"**

**Dudley's birthday — how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider**

"I can imagine Ron's horror at just the thought of that," Seamus said remembering their time together as dorm mates.

**off ****one ****of ****them, ****put ****them ****on. ****Harry ****was ****used ****to ****spiders, ****because ****the ****cupboard ****under ****the ****stairs ****was ****full ****of ****them, ****and ****that ****was ****where ****he ****slept.**

"WHAT?" all of the D.A., besides Ginny, screamed.

"He slept in a cupboard?" asked Hannah, clearly not expecting an answer, "how could they be so cruel, he's their nephew! He's possibly Mrs. Dursley's last link to her dead sister!"

**When ****he ****was ****dressed ****he ****went ****down ****the ****hall ****into ****the ****kitchen. ****The ****table ****was ****almost ****hidden ****beneath ****all Dudley's ****birthday ****presents. ****It ****looked ****as ****though Dudley** **had ****gotten ****the ****new ****computer ****he ****wanted, ****not ****to ****mention ****the ****second ****television ****and ****the ****racing ****bike.**

"He's worse than Malfoy, with the amount of presents he gets." Padma said, disgusted.

**Exactly ****why ****Dudley ****wanted ****a ****racing ****bike ****was ****a ****mystery ****to ****Harry, ****as ****Dudley ****was ****very ****fat ****and ****hated ****exercise**** — ****unless ****of ****course ****it ****involved ****punching ****somebody.**

"The book is talking about Dudley hitting Harry, isn't it?" Luna asked Ginny, sadly.

The red-head only nodded slowly, trying to suppress her hatred of this family.

**Dudley's ****favourite ****punching ****bag ****was ****Harry, ****but ****he ****couldn't ****often ****catch ****him. ****Harry ****didn't ****look ****it, ****but ****he ****was ****very ****fast.**

"Isn't that the truth?" Michael laughed, shaking his head and remembering the Quidditch matches against Harry.

**Perhaps ****it ****had ****something ****to ****do ****with ****living ****in ****a ****dark ****cupboard, ****but ****Harry ****had ****always ****been ****small ****and ****skinny ****for ****his ****age.**

"No, I think he would have always been a midget," Ernie said seriously.

**He ****looked ****even ****smaller ****and ****skinnier ****than ****he ****really ****was ****because ****all ****he ****had ****to ****wear ****were ****old ****clothes ****of Dudley's, ****and Dudley** **was ****about ****four ****times ****bigger ****than ****he ****was. ****Harry ****had ****a ****thin ****face, ****knobby ****knees, ****black ****hair,**

"I always heard that he looked exactly like his dad," Hannah said.

**and ****bright ****green ****eyes.**

"But his mom's eyes," finished Ginny softly.

**He ****wore ****round ****glasses ****held ****together ****with ****a ****lot ****of ****Scotch ****tape ****because ****of ****all ****the ****times Dudley** **had ****punched ****him ****on ****the ****nose. ****The ****only ****thing ****Harry ****liked ****about ****his ****own ****appearance ****was ****a ****very ****thin ****scar ****on ****his ****forehead ****that ****was ****shaped ****like ****a ****bolt ****of ****lightning.**

"He liked the scar?" Justin asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Neville said slowly. He was confused, as long as he had known Harry, he hated that scar.

**He ****had ****had ****it ****as ****long ****as ****he ****could ****remember, ****and ****the ****first ****question ****he ****could ****ever ****remember ****asking ****his ****Aunt ****Petunia ****was ****how ****he ****had ****gotten ****it.**

**"In the car crash when your parents died," she had said.**

"A car crash? You have got to be kidding me!" Susan exclaimed furiously.

**"And ****don't ****ask ****questions."**

**Don't ask questions — that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

"How is he supposed to learn, if he can't ask questions?" Anthony asked.

**Uncle ****Vernon ****entered ****the ****kitchen ****as ****Harry ****was ****turning ****over ****the ****bacon.**

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

"That's not going to work," Seamus snickered.

**About ****once ****a ****week, ****Uncle ****Vernon ****looked ****over ****the ****top ****of ****his ****newspaper ****and ****shouted ****that ****Harry ****needed ****a ****haircut. ****Harry ****must ****have ****had ****more ****haircuts ****than ****the ****rest ****of ****the ****boys ****in ****his ****class ****put ****together, ****but ****it ****made ****no ****difference, ****his ****hair ****simply ****grew ****that ****way**** — ****all ****over ****the ****place.**

**Harry ****was ****frying ****eggs ****by ****the ****time Dudley** **arrived ****in ****the ****kitchen ****with ****his ****mother. Dudley** **looked ****a ****lot ****like ****Uncle ****Vernon. ****He ****had ****a ****large ****pink ****face, ****not ****much ****neck, ****small, ****watery ****blue ****eyes, ****and ****thick ****blond ****hair ****that ****lay ****smoothly ****on ****his ****thick, ****fat ****head.**

"Attractive," Lavender said, pursing her lips in disgust.

**Aunt ****Petunia ****often ****said ****that Dudley** **looked ****like ****a ****baby ****angel**** — ****Harry ****often ****said ****that Dudley** **looked ****like ****a ****pig ****in ****a ****wig.**

"Since when is Harry a jokester?" Ernie said amazed.

"Actually, Harry has a very good sense of humour" Ginny told him. "It just doesn't come out very often, not any more," she finished softly.

**Harry ****put ****the ****plates ****of ****egg ****and ****bacon ****on ****the ****table, ****which ****was ****difficult ****as ****there ****wasn't ****much ****room. ****Dudley, ****meanwhile, ****was ****counting ****his ****presents. ****His ****face ****fell.**

**"Thirty-six," ****he ****said, ****looking ****up ****at ****his ****mother ****and ****father. ****"That's ****two ****less ****than ****last ****year."**

"What a little brat," Zacharias said.

Michael opened his mouth to make some snide comment, but thought better of it and said nothing.

**"Darling, ****you ****haven't ****counted ****Auntie ****Marie****'****s ****present, ****see, ****it's ****here ****under ****this ****big ****one ****from ****Mummy ****and ****Daddy."**

**"All ****right, ****thirty-seven ****then," ****said Dudley, ****going ****red ****in ****the ****face. ****Harry, ****who ****could ****see ****a ****huge ****Dudley ****tantrum ****coming ****on, ****began ****wolfing ****down ****his ****bacon ****as ****fast ****as ****possible ****in ****case Dudley** **turned ****the ****table ****over.**

"Huh, Harry is actually eating something." Padma said surprised. When everyone gave her strange looks she defended herself. "He's so skinny, I didn't think he ate anything."

"And she's the one in Ravenclaw," Michael muttered under his breath. Thankfully neither twin heard him.

**Aunt ****Petunia ****obviously ****scented ****danger, ****too, ****because ****she ****said ****quickly, ****"And ****we'll ****buy ****you ****another ****two ****presents ****while ****we're ****out ****today. ****How's ****that, ****popkin? ****Two ****more ****presents. ****Is ****that ****all ****right?"**

"And she encourages him!" Parvati exclaimed, disgusted by these people.

**Dudley** **thought ****for ****a ****moment. ****It ****looked ****like ****hard ****work. ****Finally ****he ****said ****slowly, ****"So ****I'll ****have ****thirty****… ****thirty****…****"**

"This is just pathetic," Hannah said.

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

"Why does she insist on using the creepiest pet names for him?" Parvati whispered to Lavender who just shrugged.

**"Oh." Dudley** **sat ****down ****heavily ****and ****grabbed ****the ****nearest ****parcel. ****"All ****right ****then."**** Uncle ****Vernon ****chuckled.**

**"Little ****tyke ****wants ****his ****money's ****worth, ****just ****like ****his ****father. ****'Atta ****boy, ****Dudley!" ****He ****ruffled Dudley's ****hair.**

**At ****that ****moment ****the ****telephone ****rang ****and ****Aunt ****Petunia ****went ****to ****answer ****it ****while ****Harry ****and ****Uncle ****Vernon ****watched Dudley** **unwrap ****the ****racing ****bike, ****a ****video ****camera, ****a ****remote ****control ****airplane, ****sixteen ****new ****computer ****games, ****and ****a ****VCR.**

"... Em, does anybody want to explain those things?" asked Terry.

Ginny just continued reading loudly as Colin opened his mouth.

**He ****was ****ripping ****the ****paper ****off ****a ****gold ****wrist watch ****when ****Aunt ****Petunia ****came ****back ****from ****the ****telephone ****looking ****both ****angry ****and ****worried.**

**"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him."**

"Ms. Figg, she was the one who helped Harry after the Dementor attack," Ginny told Neville.

"I've heard of her," Dennis said excitedly.

** She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

"Maybe it's not her," Dennis said, now doubtful.

**"Now ****what?" ****said ****Aunt ****Petunia, ****looking ****furiously ****at ****Harry ****as ****though ****he'd ****planned ****this. ****Harry ****knew ****he ****ought ****to ****feel ****sorry ****that ****Mrs.****Figg ****had ****broken ****her ****leg, ****but ****it ****wasn't ****easy ****when ****he ****reminded ****himself ****it ****would ****be ****a ****whole ****year ****before ****he ****had ****to ****look ****at ****Tibbles, ****Snowy, ****Mr.****Paws, and ****Tufty ****again.**

**"We ****could ****phone ****Marge," ****Uncle ****Vernon ****suggested.**

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

"Why don't they say his name?" Anthony asked, frustrated.

"They don't think he's important enough, or something stupid like that," Neville said scornfully.

**The ****Dursleys ****often ****spoke ****about ****Harry ****like ****this, ****as ****though ****he ****wasn't ****there**** — ****or ****rather, ****as ****though ****he ****was ****something ****very ****nasty ****that ****couldn't ****understand ****them, ****like ****a ****slug.**

"Slugs aren't all that bad," Luna said quietly.

**"What ****about ****what's-her-name, ****your ****friend**** — ****Yvonne?"**

**"On ****vacation ****in Majorca," ****snapped ****Aunt ****Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

"Good try, Harry," Seamus laughed, "but it's not happening."

**Aunt ****Petunia ****looked ****as ****though ****she'd ****just ****swallowed ****a ****lemon.**

**"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

"It would serve her right if Harry really did blow it up," Ernie grumbled.

**"I ****won't ****blow ****up ****the ****house," ****said ****Harry, ****but ****they ****weren't ****listening.**

"It looks like Harry doesn't agree, sorry Ernie," Susan laughed.

**"I ****suppose ****we ****could ****take ****him ****to ****the ****zoo," ****said ****Aunt ****Petunia ****slowly, ****"****… ****and ****leave ****him ****in ****the ****car****…****"**

"I've heard of kids dying from heat when they were left in a car,"Hannah said horrified, "they wouldn't really do that to him, would they?"

**"That ****car's ****new, ****he's ****not ****sitting ****in ****it ****alone****…****"**

**Dudley** **began ****to ****cry ****loudly. ****In ****fact, ****he ****wasn't ****really ****crying**** — ****it ****had ****been ****years ****since ****he'd ****really ****cried**** — ****but ****he ****knew ****that ****if ****he ****screwed ****up ****his ****face ****and ****wailed, ****his ****mother ****would ****give ****him ****anything ****he ****wanted.**

"You have got to be kidding me. He's worst than Zacharias," Michael muttered to Terry, who snorted.

**"Dinky ****Duddydums,**

Everyone laughed hysterically.

**don't ****cry, ****Mummy ****won't ****let ****him ****spoil ****your ****special ****day!" ****she ****cried, ****flinging ****her ****arms ****around ****him.**

**"I****… ****don't****… ****want****… ****him****… ****t-t-to ****come!" Dudley** **yelled ****between ****huge, ****pretend ****sobs.**

**"He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

Terry grimaced, "urgh, I have nothing to say to that."

**Just ****then, ****the ****doorbell ****rang**** — ****"Oh, ****good ****Lord, ****they're ****here!" ****said ****Aunt ****Petunia ****frantically**** — ****and ****a ****moment ****later, ****Dudley's ****best ****friend, ****Piers ****Polkiss, ****walked ****in ****with ****his ****mother.**

**Piers ****was ****a ****scrawny ****boy ****with ****a ****face ****like ****a ****rat. ****He ****was ****usually ****the ****one ****who ****held ****people's ****arms ****behind ****their ****backs ****while Dudley** **hit ****them. Dudley** **stopped ****pretending ****to ****cry ****at ****once.**

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

"What do you want know, you fat walrus?" Zacharias said exasperated.

"Aren't all walrus' fat?" Neville asked him mockingly.

He just gave Neville a dirty look as Ginny read over them.

**"I'm ****warning ****you," ****he ****had ****said, ****putting ****his ****large ****purple ****face ****right ****up ****close ****to ****Harry's, ****"I'm ****warning ****you ****now, ****boy**** — ****any ****funny ****business, ****anything ****at ****all**** — ****and ****you'll ****be ****in ****that ****cupboard ****from ****now ****until ****Christmas."**

**"I'm ****not ****going ****to ****do ****anything," ****said ****Harry, ****"honestly****…****"**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

"Poor Harry," Colin said sadly.

**The ****problem ****was, ****strange ****things ****often ****happened ****around ****Harry ****and ****it ****was ****just ****no ****good ****telling ****the ****Dursleys ****he ****didn't ****make ****them ****happen.**

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." **

**Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses.**

"I was bullied too, before Hogwarts," Justin said, "That's one of the reasons why I was so happy to come here."

**Next ****morning, ****however, ****he ****had ****gotten ****up ****to ****find ****his ****hair ****exactly ****as ****it ****had ****been ****before ****Aunt ****Petunia ****had ****sheared ****it ****off.**

"Harry without his crazy hair," Lavender laughed, "Not possible!"

**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

"That's not his fault! It was accidental magic!" Susan exclaimed, "Wouldn't his aunt know that? She did have a magical sister, after all."

"She did," Ginny spit out bitterly, "but that doesn't mean that she would accept it."

**Another ****time, ****Aunt ****Petunia ****had ****been ****trying ****to ****force ****him ****into ****a ****revolting ****old ****sweater ****of Dudley's ****(brown ****with ****orange ****puff****balls).**

"Eww," All of the girls and most of the boys said.

**The ****harder ****she ****tried ****to ****pull ****it ****over ****his ****head, ****the ****smaller ****it ****seemed ****to ****become, ****until ****finally ****it ****might ****have ****fitted ****a ****hand ****puppet, ****but ****certainly ****wouldn't ****fit ****Harry.**

**Aunt ****Petunia ****had ****decided ****it ****must ****have ****shrunk ****in ****the ****wash ****and, ****to ****his ****great ****relief, ****Harry ****wasn't ****punished.**

"That was a good one, and he didn't get punished, brilliant!" Ernie said.

**On ****the ****other ****hand, ****he'd ****gotten ****into ****terrible ****trouble ****for ****being ****found ****on ****the ****roof ****of ****the ****school ****kitchens. ****Dudley's ****gang ****had ****been ****chasing ****him ****as ****usual ****when, ****as ****much ****to ****Harry's ****surprise ****as ****anyone ****else's, ****there ****he ****was ****sitting ****on ****the ****chimney.**

"He Apparated?" Anthony asked.

"No, he flew," Hannah said "That's why he's so good at Quidditch."

"He couldn't have done either," Michael said, "Both are impossible."

Ginny and Neville both laughed, and Luna had a small smile, because they all knew nothing was impossible for Harry.

**The ****Dursleys ****had ****received ****a ****very ****angry ****letter ****from ****Harry's ****head mistress ****telling ****them ****Harry ****had ****been ****climbing ****school ****buildings. ****But ****all ****he'd ****tried ****to ****do ****(as ****he ****shouted ****at ****Uncle ****Vernon ****through ****the ****locked ****door ****of ****his ****cupboard) ****was ****jump ****behind ****the ****big ****trash ****cans ****outside ****the ****kitchen ****doors. ****Harry ****supposed ****that ****the ****wind ****must ****have ****caught ****him ****in ****mid-jump.**

"Oh! Maybe that's what really happened!" Dennis said excitedly.

"No Dennis, that was just an excuse," Colin told his little brother.

Dennis just mumbled, "It could happen."

**But ****today, ****nothing ****was ****going ****to ****go ****wrong. ****It ****was ****even ****worth ****being ****with Dudley** **and ****Piers ****to ****be ****spending ****the ****day ****somewhere ****that ****wasn't ****school, ****his ****cupboard, ****or ****Mrs.****Figg's ****cabbage-smelling ****living ****room.**

**While ****he ****drove, ****Uncle ****Vernon ****complained ****to ****Aunt ****Petunia. ****He ****liked ****to ****complain ****about ****things: ****people ****at ****work, ****Harry, ****the ****council, ****Harry, ****the ****bank, ****and ****Harry ****were ****just ****a ****few ****of ****his ****favourite ****subjects. ****This ****morning, ****it ****was ****motorcycles.**

"For some strange reason, I'm getting the feeling that they don't like Harry," Parvati said.

**"****…****roaring ****along ****like ****maniacs, ****the ****young ****hoodlums," ****he ****said, ****as ****a ****motorcycle ****over took ****them.**

**"I ****had ****a ****dream ****about ****a ****motorcycle," ****said ****Harry, ****remembering ****suddenly. ****"It ****was ****flying."**

"I thought Harry had at least a small amount of intelligence," Terry said.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: **

**"MOTORCYCLES ****DON'T ****FLY!"**

**Dudley** **and ****Piers ****sniggered.**

**"I ****know ****they ****don't," ****said ****Harry. ****"It ****was ****only ****a ****dream."**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

"Harry is more likely to get dangerous ideas from that family, than from cartoons!" Ginny scoffed.

**It ****was ****a ****very ****sunny ****Saturday ****and ****the ****zoo ****was ****crowded ****with ****families. ****The ****Dursleys ****bought Dudley** **and ****Piers ****large ****chocolate ****ice ****cream s****at ****the ****entrance ****and ****then, ****because ****the ****smiling ****lady ****in ****the ****van ****had ****asked ****Harry ****what ****he ****wanted ****before ****they ****could ****hurry ****him ****a way, ****they ****bought ****him ****a ****cheap ****lemon ****ice ****pop.**

"Oh, Godric! Those are almost as bad as lemon drops!" Justin said.

"You really don't like lemon flavour things, do you?" Seamus asked laughing.

Justin only shuddered in response.

**It ****wasn't ****bad, ****either, ****Harry ****thought, ****licking ****it ****as ****they ****watched ****a ****gorilla ****scratching ****its ****head ****who ****looked ****remarkably ****like Dudley, ****except ****that ****it ****wasn't ****blond.**

The D.A. all laughed aloud.

"So, they have a walrus and a gorilla in the family. They create so many lovely images." Padma giggled.

**Harry ****had ****the ****best ****morning ****he'd ****had ****in ****a ****long ****time. ****He ****was ****careful ****to ****walk ****a ****little ****way ****apart ****from ****the ****Dursleys ****so ****that Dudley** **and ****Piers, ****who ****were ****starting ****to ****get ****bored ****with ****the ****animals ****by ****lunch time, ****wouldn't ****fall ****back ****on ****their ****favourite ****hobby ****of ****hitting ****him.**

**They ****ate ****in ****the ****zoo ****restaurant, ****and ****when Dudley** **had ****a ****tantrum ****because ****his ****knickerbocker ****glory ****didn't ****have ****enough ****ice ****cream ****on ****top, ****Uncle ****Vernon ****bought ****him ****another ****one ****and ****Harry ****was ****allowed ****to ****finish ****the ****first.** **Harry ****felt, ****afterward, ****that ****he ****should ****have ****known ****it ****was ****all ****too ****good ****to ****last.**

"Dun, dun, dun…"

"It's not the time, for that Michael."

"Sorry Ginny."

**After ****lunch ****they ****went ****to ****the ****reptile ****house. ****It ****was ****cool ****and ****dark ****in ****there, ****with ****lit ****windows ****all ****along ****the ****walls. ****Behind ****the ****glass, ****all ****sorts ****of ****lizards ****and ****snakes ****were ****crawling ****and ****slithering ****over ****bits ****of ****wood ****and ****stone. ****Dudley ****and ****Piers ****wanted ****to ****see ****huge, ****poisonous ****cobras ****and ****thick, ****man-crushing ****pythons. Dudley** **quickly ****found ****the ****largest ****snake ****in ****the ****place. ****It ****could ****have ****wrapped ****its ****body ****twice ****around ****Uncle ****Vernon's ****car ****and ****crushed ****it ****into ****a ****trash ****can**** — ****but ****at ****the ****moment ****it ****didn't ****look ****in ****the ****mood. ****In ****fact, ****it ****was ****fast ****asleep.**

**Dudley ****stood ****with ****his ****nose ****pressed ****against ****the ****glass, ****staring ****at ****the ****glistening ****brown ****coils.**

**"Make ****it ****move," ****he ****whined ****at ****his ****father. ****Uncle ****Vernon ****tapped ****on ****the ****glass, ****but ****the ****snake ****didn't ****budge.**

**"Do ****it ****again," Dudley** **ordered. ****Uncle ****Vernon ****rapped ****the ****glass ****smartly ****with ****his ****knuckles, ****but ****the ****snake ****just ****snoozed ****on.**

"Don't do that - it will make him uncomfortable," Luna said angrily.

**"This ****is ****boring," Dudley** **moaned. ****He ****shuffled ****away.**

"Your mum is boring!" Neville retorted.

**Harry ****moved ****in ****front ****of ****the ****tank ****and ****looked ****intently ****at ****the ****snake. ****He ****wouldn't ****have ****been ****surprised ****if ****it ****had ****died ****of ****boredom ****itself**** — ****no ****company ****except ****stupid ****people ****drumming ****their ****fingers ****on ****the ****glass ****trying ****to ****disturb ****it ****all ****day ****long. ****It ****was ****worse ****than ****having ****a ****cupboard ****as ****a ****bedroom, ****where ****the ****only ****visitor ****was ****Aunt ****Petunia ****hammering ****on ****the ****door ****to ****wake ****you ****up; ****at ****least ****he ****got ****to ****visit ****the ****rest ****of ****the ****house.**

"You don't think Harry is going to talk to it, do you?" Justin asked shaking slightly. He still hadn't gotten over his encounter with the one Malfoy conjured in his second year.

**The ****snake ****suddenly ****opened ****its ****beady ****eyes. ****Slowly, ****very ****slowly, ****it ****raised ****its ****head ****until ****its ****eyes ****were ****on ****a ****level ****with ****Harry's.**

**It winked.**

"That's so creepy!" Lavender squealed.

Anthony was bewildered, "Snakes don't even have eyelids."

"The most important questions here is how Potter is a Parselmouth?" Zacharias said, "I mean, honestly, he had a muggle-born mum and his dad was, from what I know, one of those all Gryffindor families."

No one knew the answer - though they had all guessed at one stage or another - so Ginny said, "I'm sure we will find out."

**Harry ****stared. ****Then ****he ****looked ****quickly ****around ****to ****see ****if ****anyone ****was ****watching. ****They ****weren't. ****He ****looked ****back ****at ****the ****snake ****and ****winked, ****too.**

**The ****snake ****jerked ****its ****head ****toward ****Uncle ****Vernon ****and ****Dudley, ****then ****raised ****its ****eyes ****to ****the ****ceiling. ****It ****gave ****Harry ****a ****look ****that ****said ****quite ****plainly:**

**"I ****get ****that ****all ****the ****time."**

**"I ****know," ****Harry ****murmured ****through ****the ****glass, ****though ****he ****wasn't ****sure ****the ****snake ****could ****hear ****him. ****"It ****must ****be ****really ****annoying."**

**The ****snake ****nodded ****vigorously.**

"Yes he's talking to the snake, Justin." Susan said simply

**"Where ****do ****you ****come ****from, ****anyway?" ****Harry ****asked.**

**The ****snake ****jabbed ****its ****tail ****at ****a ****little ****sign ****next ****to ****the ****glass. ****Harry ****peered ****at ****it.**  
><strong>Boa <strong>**Constrictor, Brazil.**

**"Was ****it ****nice ****there?"**

**The ****boa ****constrictor ****jabbed ****its ****tail ****at ****the ****sign ****again ****and ****Harry ****read ****on: ****This ****specimen ****was ****bred ****in ****the ****zoo. ****"Oh, ****I ****see**** — ****so ****you've ****never ****been ****to Brazil?"**

"Well, at least the snake is polite," Luna said.

**As ****the ****snake ****shook ****its ****head, ****a ****deafening ****shout ****behind ****Harry ****made ****both ****of ****them ****jump. ****"DUDLEY! ****MR.****DURSLEY! ****COME ****AND ****LOOK ****AT ****THIS ****SNAKE! ****YOU ****WON'T ****BELIEVE ****WHAT ****IT'S ****DOING!"**

**Dudley** **came ****waddling ****toward ****them ****as ****fast ****as ****he ****could.**

**"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor.**

"Leave him alone!" Dennis said outraged.

**What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

"Whoa. What did he do?" asked Terry in horror.

**Harry ****sat ****up ****and ****gasped; ****the ****glass ****front ****of ****the ****boa ****constrictor's ****tank ****had ****vanished.**

All the jaws in the room, dropped to the floor. That was the most impressive accidental magic they had every heard of.

**The ****great ****snake ****was ****uncoiling ****itself ****rapidly, ****slithering ****out ****onto ****the ****floor. ****People ****throughout ****the ****reptile ****house ****screamed ****and ****started ****running ****for ****the ****exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, **

**"Brazil, here I come… Thanksss, amigo"**

"De nada," Seamus laughed.

**The ****keeper ****of ****the ****reptile ****house ****was ****in ****shock.**

**"But ****the ****glass," ****he ****kept ****saying, ****"where ****did ****the ****glass ****go?"**

**The ****zoo ****director ****himself ****made ****Aunt ****Petunia ****a ****cup ****of ****strong, ****sweet ****tea ****while ****he ****apologized ****over ****and ****over ****again. ****Piers ****and Dudley** **could ****only ****gibber. ****As ****far ****as ****Harry ****had ****seen, ****the ****snake ****hadn't ****done ****anything ****except ****snap ****playfully ****at ****their ****heels ****as ****it ****passed, ****but ****by ****the ****time ****they ****were ****all ****back ****in ****Uncle ****Vernon's ****car, ****Dudley ****was ****telling ****them ****how ****it ****had ****nearly ****bitten ****off ****his ****leg, ****while ****Piers ****was ****swearing ****it ****had ****tried ****to ****squeeze ****him ****to ****death. ****But ****worst ****of ****all, ****for ****Harry ****at ****least, ****was ****Piers ****calming ****down ****enough ****to ****say, ****"Harry ****was ****talking ****to ****it, ****weren't ****you, ****Harry?".**

"No! Don't say that, rat boy! Now Harry is going to get in trouble," Colin said.

**Uncle ****Vernon ****waited ****until ****Piers ****was ****safely ****out ****of ****the ****house ****before ****starting ****on ****Harry. ****He ****was ****so ****angry ****he ****could ****hardly ****speak. ****He ****managed ****to ****say, ****"Go**** — ****cupboard**** — ****stay**** — ****no ****meals," ****before ****he ****collapsed ****into ****a ****chair, ****and ****Aunt ****Petunia ****had ****to ****run ****and ****get ****him ****a ****large ****brandy.**

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

"Well now we know why he was always such a midget, he never got anything to eat," Michael said, aghast.

**He'd, ****lived ****with ****the ****Dursleys ****almost ****ten ****years, ****ten ****miserable ****years, ****as ****long ****as ****he ****could ****remember, ****ever ****since ****he'd ****been ****a ****baby ****and ****his ****parents ****had ****died ****in ****that ****car ****crash. ****He ****couldn't ****remember ****being ****in ****the ****car ****when ****his ****parents ****had ****died. ****Sometimes, ****when ****he ****strained ****his ****memory ****during ****long ****hours ****in ****his ****cupboard, ****he ****came ****up ****with ****a ****strange ****vision: ****a ****blinding ****flash ****of ****green ****light ****and ****a ****burning ****pain ****on ****his ****forehead.**

"That would be awful," Susan whispered sadly, "Having to remember being hit with the killing curse."

"I still don't understand how he survived." Anthony said. No one had the answer that, though.

"Remember in fifth year during O.W.L.s, when Harry fell out of his seat screaming, do you think he was thinking about his parents and it hurt that much?" Parvati asked frightened.

"Maybe," Ginny answered, not wanting to explain about Sirius in that moment, "But we will have to see. I have a feeling it will be somewhere in this book."

Ginny didn't realize that this book was only the first of many though.

**This, ****he ****supposed, ****was ****the ****crash, ****though ****he ****couldn't ****imagine ****where ****all ****the ****green ****light ****came ****from. ****He ****couldn't ****remember ****his ****parents ****at ****all.**

"I wish he could see his parents, if only for a few moments, it would make him so much happier," Luna said, sad for her friend.

**His ****aunt ****and ****uncle ****never ****spoke ****about ****them, ****and ****of ****course ****he ****was ****forbidden ****to ****ask ****questions. ****There ****were ****no ****photographs ****of ****them ****in ****the ****house. **  
><strong>When <strong>**he ****had ****been ****younger, ****Harry ****had ****dreamed ****and ****dreamed ****of ****some ****unknown ****relation ****coming ****to ****take ****him ****away, ****but ****it ****had ****never ****happened; ****the ****Dursleys ****were ****his ****only ****family. ****Yet ****sometimes ****he ****thought ****(or ****maybe ****hoped) ****that ****strangers ****in ****the ****street ****seemed ****to ****know ****him. ****Very ****strange ****strangers ****they ****were, ****too.**

**A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

"Hmm. Weird." Ernie laughed mysteriously.

**At ****school, ****Harry ****had ****no ****one. ****Every body ****knew ****that Dudley's ****gang ****hated ****that ****odd ****Harry ****Potter ****in ****his ****baggy ****old ****clothes ****and ****broken ****glasses, ****and ****nobody ****liked ****to ****disagree ****with ****Dudley****'****s ****gang.**

"That sounds like Malfoy," Seamus said, feeling bad for his dorm-mate. He'd escaped from one bully to get another.

"Well, that's it for chapter two," Ginny said.

"You all better get to dinners," Neville said, "You don't want to be hungry or all get caught not there."

They all grudgingly left the Room of Requirements. But just as Hannah was about to leave, she said one last thing to Neville, "I've got dibs on reading first once we come back."

He smiled and nodded at her and with that everyone was gone. Neville walked over to his bed, slid the book underneath it, and stared sadly at the ceiling. Who knew when he was going to be able to get some food?

**A/N: ****Okay****...****so ****review, ****and ****all ****that ****other ****junk. ****I ****hope ****you ****liked ****it! ****Thanks!****  
><strong>


	4. Letters From No One

**A/N: I feel so loved with all the reviews and favorites and alerts. Thank you so much! You guys are awesome! Anyway, I hope you like this; please tell me if you have any suggestions on how I could make it better!**

**Also I changed the very last part of the last chapter, so you will have to read that part to get the very beginning of this chapter. (Sorry)**

**And I'm really sorry it took so long to update I was restricted from the computer, and then when I could finally get on again, it crashed. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter of any of the characters, sadly.**

**Thanks to my outstanding beta, TheDeepestDepths.**

**Chapter Four**

**Letters From No One**

Dinner was quiet and tense, yet that was not much different to how their meals usually were with Snape as headmaster. All of the D.A. were trying to eat their dinner quickly so they could get back to the Room of Requirement, but they all had to be extremely careful not to let anyone suspect that they were up to something.

Finally they were all finished and they all made sure to leave the Great Hall in different directions in order to avoid suspicion. Luna and Hannah ended up being the last two to leave so they both grabbed some extra food to bring back to Neville and quickly left to join the others.

Neville was trying to think of some way to get food without going down to the kitchens and risk getting caught when Ginny and Seamus - the first two to leave - came in.

"Hey Neville, the others are on their way," Seamus told him getting comfortable on one of the couches.

"Alright," he said, "So I was thinking that we do around two more chapters, but then you all need to head back to your Common Rooms to do homework and stuff. You don't want to be getting detention with the Carrows in charge."

"That's a good idea," Anthony said as he walked in through the door, "If we end up reading so long that I don't get at least an E in the Potions exam we have tomorrow, I swear I'll not be in a good mood!"

_He __is __such __a __Ravenclaw __nerd!_ Seamus thought, rolling his eyes. In the corner of his eye he could see Susan - who had walked in with Anthony - nodding her head in agreement, clearly thinking along the same lines as him.

More of the members entered, all getting comfortable on the chairs and couches. Finally Luna and Hannah arrived and gave Neville the food they had taken for him, which he accepted with a grateful smile.

Hannah grabbed the book from Neville, and sat down with it, asking, "Is everybody ready?"

When the all nodded she began with "**Letters ****From ****No ****One,"**

"I am already confused," Michael wined.

"It's probably his letter from Hogwarts, because this is about our first year," Parvati said reasonably.

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

Many of the boys started laughing hysterically, the old bat who had made Harry miserable deserved it. The girls just felt pity for the poor woman and glared at the boys furiously.

**Harry ****was ****glad ****school ****was ****over, ****but ****there ****was ****no ****escaping ****Dudley's ****gang, ****who ****visited ****the ****house ****every ****single ****day. ****Piers, ****Dennis, ****Malcolm, ****and ****Gordon ****were ****all ****big ****and ****stupid, ****but ****as Dudley** **was ****the ****biggest ****and ****stupidest ****of ****the ****lot, ****he ****was ****the ****leader.**

"How did that happen? Wouldn't they want the smartest to be the leader?" Dennis asked confused.

"I think when Dudley decided he wanted to be the leader, the others agreed because they didn't want to get in his way because he was the biggest and therefore strongest," Neville explained quietly to the younger boy.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting.**

**This ****was ****why ****Harry ****spent ****as ****much ****time ****as ****possible ****out ****of ****the ****house, ****wandering ****around ****and ****thinking ****about ****the ****end ****of ****the ****holidays, ****where ****he ****could ****see ****a ****tiny ****ray ****of ****hope. ****When ****September ****came ****he ****would ****be ****going ****off ****to ****secondary ****school ****and, ****for ****the ****first ****time ****in ****his ****life, ****he ****wouldn't ****be ****with Dudley. ****Dudley ****had ****been ****accepted ****at ****Uncle ****Vernon's ****old ****private ****school, ****Smeltings. ****Piers ****Polkiss ****was ****going ****there ****too. ****Harry, ****on ****the ****other ****hand, ****was ****going ****to ****Stonewall ****High, ****the ****local ****public ****school. Dudley** **thought ****this ****was ****very ****funny.**

"I'll bet Harry was just glad to finally get away from him," Padma sniffed.

"**They ****stuff ****people's ****heads ****down ****the ****toilet ****the ****first ****day ****at ****Stonewall," ****he ****told ****Harry. ****"Want ****to ****come ****upstairs ****and ****practice?****"**

"Yes, let's go stuff your head down a toilet," Ginny said angrily.

"Ginny?" Luna said, "You do realize the book won't respond, don't you?"

Ginny just huffed.

"**No, ****thanks," ****said ****Harry. ****"The ****poor ****toilet's ****never ****had ****anything ****as ****horrible ****as ****your ****head ****down ****it**** — ****it ****might ****be ****sick. "****Then ****he ****ran, ****before Dudley** **could ****work ****out ****what ****he'd ****said.**

Ginny just blinked and smiled softly.

"Again with the jokes! Where was this Harry when he was here?" Ernie asked.

Susan just gave him a look and said, "He couldn't have been, I don't know, saving the world or anything?" she dead-panned.

**One ****day ****in ****July, ****Aunt ****Petunia ****took Dudley** **to London** **to ****buy ****his ****Smeltings ****uniform, ****leaving ****Harry ****at ****Mrs.****Figg's.**

"At least she wasn't hurt too badly from being knocked down by Dudley," Lavender said, sighing in relief.

**Mrs. ****Figg ****wasn't ****as ****bad ****as ****usual. ****It ****turned ****out ****she'd ****broken ****her ****leg ****tripping ****over ****one ****of ****her ****cats, ****and ****she ****didn't ****seem ****quite ****as ****fond ****of ****them ****as ****before. ****She ****let ****Harry ****watch ****television ****and ****gave ****him ****a ****bit ****of ****chocolate ****cake ****that ****tasted ****as ****though ****she'd ****had ****it ****for ****several ****years.**

**That ****evening, Dudley** **paraded ****around ****the ****living ****room ****for ****the ****family ****in ****his ****brand-new ****uniform. ****Smeltings' ****boys ****wore ****maroon ****tailcoats, ****orange ****knicker bockers, ****and ****flat ****straw ****hats ****called ****boaters. ****They ****also ****carried ****knobbly ****sticks, ****used ****for ****hitting ****each ****other ****while ****the ****teachers ****weren't ****looking. ****This ****was ****supposed ****to ****be ****good ****training ****for ****later ****life.**

"How in the world is that a good idea?" Zacharias asked.

"It's not," Terry replied, shaking his head.

**As ****he ****looked ****at Dudley** **in ****his ****new ****knickerbockers, ****Uncle ****Vernon ****said ****gruffly ****that ****it ****was ****the ****proudest ****moment ****of ****his ****life. ****Aunt ****Petunia ****burst ****into ****tears ****and ****said ****she ****couldn't ****believe ****it ****was ****her ****Ickle ****Dudleykins, ****he ****looked ****so ****handsome ****and ****grown-up. ****Harry ****didn't ****trust ****himself ****to ****speak. ****He ****thought ****two ****of ****his ****ribs ****might ****already ****have ****cracked ****from ****trying ****not ****to ****laugh.**

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water.**

"**What's ****this?" ****he ****asked ****Aunt ****Petunia. ****Her ****lips ****tightened ****as ****they ****always ****did ****if ****he ****dared ****to ****ask ****a ****question.**

"**Your ****new ****school ****uniform," ****she ****said.**

**Harry looked in the bowl again.**

"**Oh," ****he ****said, ****"I ****didn't ****realize ****it ****had ****to ****be ****so ****wet."**

"And the jokes just keep on getting better," Justin laughed.

"**Don't ****be ****stupid," ****snapped ****Aunt ****Petunia. ****"I'm ****dyeing ****some ****of Dudley's ****old ****things ****grey ****for ****you. ****It'll ****look ****just ****like ****everyone ****else's ****when ****I've ****finished."**

"Yeah … right," Parvati said slowly, trying to imagine that.

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue.**

**He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High — like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

**Dudley ****and ****Uncle ****Vernon ****came ****in, ****both ****with ****wrinkled ****noses ****because ****of ****the ****smell ****from ****Harry's ****new ****uniform. ****Uncle ****Vernon ****opened ****his ****newspaper ****as ****usual ****and Dudley** **banged ****his ****Smelting ****stick, ****which ****he ****carried ****everywhere, ****on ****the ****table.**

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

"**Get ****the ****mail, Dudley," ****said ****Uncle ****Vernon ****from ****behind ****his ****paper.**

"Is he really going to make Dudley get it?" Anthony asked amazed.

"**Make ****Harry ****get ****it."**

"**Get ****the ****mail, ****Harry."**

"Apparently not," Padma muttered quietly.

"**Make Dudley** **get ****it.****"**

"**Poke ****him ****with ****your ****Smelting ****stick, Dudley."**

**Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was holidaying on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and — _a __letter __for __Harry_.**

"It's his Hogwarts letter!" Seamus exclaimed and started to sing _"__Hogwarts, __Hogwarts, __Hoggy __Warty __Hogwarts__"_ Soon all of Dumbledore's Army had joined in. No matter how annoying the school song used to be, they all missed singing it together.

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives — he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

_**Mr. H. Potter**_

_**The Cupboard under the Stairs 4 Privet Drive**_

_And __whoever __wrote __the __letter __didn__'__t __notice __where __it __said __he __lived? _Hannah thought, aghast.

_**Little Whinging**_

_**Surrey**_

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink.**

**There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter _H_.**

"Have you ever noticed how weird of a name Hogwarts is?" Colin asked aloud.

All of the purebloods just gave him strange looks and just said, "No, not really."

Colin went pink and mumbled a quick, "Never mind."

"**Hurry ****up, ****boy!" ****shouted ****Uncle ****Vernon ****from ****the ****kitchen. ****"What ****are ****you ****doing, ****checking ****for ****letter ****bombs?" ****He ****chuckled ****at ****his ****own ****joke.**

Ernie raised an eyebrow and said dryly, "That was the worst joke I have ever heard in all my life."

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

"**Marge's ****ill," ****he ****informed ****Aunt ****Petunia. ****"Ate ****a ****funny ****whelk****…****"**

"**Dad!" ****said Dudley** **suddenly. ****"Dad, ****Harry's ****got ****something!"**

"Shut up!" they all hissed.

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter,**

"You know, wouldn't it have been smarter to open it in private?" Dennis asked.

"He probably just wasn't thinking, after all it did say that this was his first," Parvati replied.

**which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

"**That's **_**mine**_**!" ****said ****Harry, ****trying ****to ****snatch ****it ****back.**

"**Who'd ****be ****writing ****to ****you?" ****sneered ****Uncle ****Vernon, ****shaking ****the ****letter ****open ****with ****one ****hand ****and ****glancing ****at ****it. ****His ****face ****went ****from ****red ****to ****green ****faster ****than ****a ****set ****of ****traffic ****lights. ****And ****it ****didn't ****stop ****there. ****Within ****seconds ****it ****was ****the ****greyish ****white ****of ****old ****porridge.**

"**P-P-Petunia!" ****he ****gasped.**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.**

"**Vernon! ****Oh ****my ****goodness**** —**** Vernon!"**

"Overreacting much?" Lavender asked, laughing.

Ginny just snorted. _As __if __she __isn__'__t __overly __dramatic_.

**They ****stared ****at ****each ****other, ****seeming ****to ****have ****forgotten ****that ****Harry ****and ****Dudley ****were ****still ****in ****the ****room. Dudley** **wasn't ****used ****to ****being ****ignored. ****He ****gave ****his ****father ****a ****sharp ****tap ****on ****the ****head ****with ****his ****Smelting ****stick.**

"**I ****want ****to ****read ****that ****letter," ****he ****said ****loudly.**

"Why in the world should he be allowed to read it?" Zacharias asked.

"He's a fat git that sticks his nose into other people's business, he doesn't need another reason," Terry said grumpily.

"_**I **_**want ****to ****read ****it," ****said ****Harry ****furiously, ****"as ****it's **_**mine**_**."**

"**Get ****out, ****both ****of ****you," ****croaked ****Uncle ****Vernon, ****stuffing ****the ****letter ****back ****inside ****its ****envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

Ginny smiled to herself, _Three,__two,__one__..._

"**I ****WANT ****MY ****LETTER!" ****he ****shouted.**

"I wonder where he got that temper." Luna thought aloud.

"I know! His temper is one of the scariest things I've ever seen!" Seamus exclaimed remembering the beginning of their fifth year when he had been on the receiving end of it many times.

"**Let **_**me **_**see ****it!" ****demanded Dudley.**

"**OUT!" ****roared ****Uncle ****Vernon, ****and ****he ****took ****both ****Harry ****and ****Dudley ****by ****the ****scruffs ****of ****their ****necks ****and ****threw ****them ****into ****the ****hall, ****slamming ****the ****kitchen ****door ****behind ****them. ****Harry ****and ****Dudley ****promptly ****had ****a ****furious ****but ****silent ****fight ****over ****who ****would ****listen ****at ****the ****keyhole; ****Dudley ****won, ****so ****Harry,**

"As if a scrawny, eleven year old Harry had a chance against that pig," Justin sighed.

**his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

"**Vernon," ****Aunt ****Petunia ****was ****saying ****in ****a ****quivering ****voice, ****"look ****at ****the ****address**** — ****how ****could ****they ****possibly ****know ****where ****he ****sleeps? ****You ****don't ****think ****they're ****watching ****the ****house?"**

"**Watching**** — ****spying**** — ****might ****be ****following ****us," ****muttered ****Uncle ****Vernon ****wildly.**

"Like we would care about you," Neville said.

"But we would care about Harry," Ginny glared.

"**But ****what ****should ****we ****do, Vernon? ****Should ****we ****write ****back? ****Tell ****them ****we ****don't ****want**** —****"**

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

"**No," ****he ****said ****finally. ****"No, ****we'll ****ignore ****it. ****If ****they ****don't ****get ****an ****answer****… ****Yes, ****that's ****best****… ****we ****won't ****do ****anything****…****"**

"You don't think that could actually work, do you?" Lavender asked, worried.

"No, they would make sure the famous Harry Potter came to Hogwarts," Anthony said confidently.

"Just make sure he never hears you say that," Neville muttered to him.

"Besides, Dumbledore will realize when they don't respond," Padma assured her.

"**But**** —****"**

"**I'm ****not ****having ****one ****in ****the ****house, ****Petunia! ****Didn't ****we ****swear ****when ****we ****took ****him ****in ****we'd ****stamp ****out ****that ****dangerous ****nonsense?"**

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

"**Where's ****my ****letter?" ****said ****Harry, ****the ****moment ****Uncle ****Vernon ****had ****squeezed ****through ****the ****door.**

**"Who's writing to me?"**

"**No ****one. ****It ****was ****addressed ****to ****you ****by ****mistake," ****said ****Uncle ****Vernon ****shortly.**

"**I ****have ****burned ****it."**

"HE BURNED IT?" The whole D.A. screamed, horrified. You couldn't just _burn_ a Hogwarts letter, it was practically a right of passage. Many students frame theirs and keep it forever.

**It was _not _a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."**

"**SILENCE!" ****yelled ****Uncle ****Vernon, ****and ****a ****couple ****of ****spiders ****fell ****from ****the ****ceiling.**

**He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

"**Er**** — ****yes, Harry****— ****about ****this ****cupboard. ****Your ****aunt ****and ****I ****have ****been ****thinking****… ****you're ****really ****getting ****a ****bit ****big ****for ****it****… ****we ****think ****it ****might ****be ****nice ****if ****you ****moved ****into Dudley's ****second ****bedroom.**

"Oh, of _course_ they had a second bedroom!" Hannah cried hysterically. This was just so unfair! Harry was a really great person and already so many bad things had happened to him, did he really need more trouble from these people as well?

"**Why?" ****said ****Harry.**

"Of course he would be suspicious of that," Neville laughed. Harry never really trusted anyone, bar Ron and Hermione, of course.

"**Don't ****ask ****questions!" ****snapped ****his ****uncle. ****"Take ****this ****stuff ****upstairs, ****now."**

"And now we're back to the normal Dursleys," Colin sighed.

**The ****Dursleys' ****house ****had ****four ****bedrooms: ****one ****for ****Uncle ****Vernon ****and ****Aunt ****Petunia, ****one ****for ****visitors ****(usually ****Uncle ****Vernon's ****sister, ****Marge), ****one ****where Dudley** **slept, ****and ****one ****where Dudley** **kept ****all ****the ****toys ****and ****things ****that ****wouldn't ****fit ****into ****his ****first ****bedroom. ****It ****only ****took ****Harry ****one ****trip ****upstairs ****to ****move ****everything ****he ****owned ****from ****the ****cupboard ****to ****this ****room. ****He ****sat ****down ****on ****the ****bed ****and ****stared ****around ****him. ****Nearly ****everything ****in ****here ****was ****broken. ****The ****month-old ****video ****camera ****was ****lying ****on ****top ****of ****a ****small, ****working ****tank ****Dudley ****had ****once ****driven ****over ****the ****next ****door ****neighbour's ****dog; ****in ****the ****corner ****was ****Dudley's ****first-ever ****television ****set, ****which ****he'd ****put ****his ****foot ****through ****when ****his ****favourite ****program ****had ****been ****cancelled; ****there ****was ****a ****large ****bird cage, ****which ****had ****once ****held ****a ****parrot ****that ****Dudley ****had ****swapped ****at ****school ****for ****a ****real ****air ****rifle, ****which ****was ****up****on ****a ****shelf ****with ****the ****end ****all ****bent ****because ****Dudley ****had ****sat ****on ****it. ****Other ****shelves ****were ****full o****f ****books. ****They ****were ****the ****only ****things ****in ****the ****room ****that ****looked ****as ****though ****they'd ****never ****been ****touched.**

"Well now Harry can have something nice that hasn't been contaminated by the Dursleys," Dennis said trying to think of the silver lining in this situation.

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't _want _him in there… I _need _that room… make him get out…"**

"It seems as though this is the first time Dudley didn't get what he wanted," Justin stated, somewhat bewildered that someone could have been so utterly pampered.

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

**Next ****morning ****at ****breakfast, ****everyone ****was ****rather ****quiet. Dudley** **was ****in ****shock. ****He'd ****screamed, ****whacked ****his ****father ****with ****his ****Smelting ****stick, ****been ****sick ****on ****purpose, ****kicked ****his ****mother, ****and ****thrown ****his ****tortoise ****through ****the ****greenhouse ****roof, ****and ****he ****still ****didn't ****have ****his ****room ****back. ****Harry ****was ****thinking ****about ****this ****time ****yesterday ****and ****bitterly ****wishing ****he'd ****opened ****the ****letter ****in ****the ****hall. ****Uncle ****Vernon ****and ****Aunt ****Petunia ****kept ****looking ****at ****each ****other ****darkly.**

**When ****the ****mail ****arrived, ****Uncle ****Vernon, ****who ****seemed ****to ****be ****trying ****to ****be ****nice ****to ****Harry, ****made Dudley** **go ****and ****get ****it.**

"Being nice to him? More like trying to make sure he doesn't find another letter and bring it to his room," Ernie snorted.

"That doesn't make much sense, though, Ernie. Dursley knows that Dudley would also want to read it, and he doesn't want that either. Most likely he's freaking out at the thought of wizards watching him and is afraid of what they would do if they saw how Harry was treated," Terry said.

**They ****heard ****him ****banging ****things ****with ****his ****Smelting ****stick ****all ****the ****way ****down ****the ****hall. ****Then ****he ****shouted, ****"There's ****another ****one! ****'Mr. ****H. ****Potter, ****The ****Smallest ****Bedroom, 4 ****Privet ****Drive** —**'"**

**With ****a ****strangled ****cry, ****Uncle ****Vernon ****leapt ****from ****his ****seat ****and ****ran ****down ****the ****hall, ****Harry ****right ****behind ****him. ****Uncle ****Vernon ****had ****to ****wrestle Dudley** **to ****the****ground****to****get****the****letter****from****him,****which****was****made****difficult****by****the****fact****that****Harry****had****grabbed****Uncle****Vernon****around****the****neck****from****behind.****After****a****minute****of****confused****fighting,****in ****which ****everyone ****got ****hit ****a ****lot ****by ****the ****Smelting ****stick, ****Uncle ****Vernon ****straightened ****up, ****gasping ****for ****breath, ****with ****Harry's ****letter ****clutched ****in ****his ****hand.**

"**Go ****to ****your ****cupboard**** — ****I ****mean, ****your ****bedroom," ****he ****wheezed ****at ****Harry. ****"Dudley** — **go**** — ****just ****go."**

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

"Oh no," Neville laughed, "This won't be pretty."

"Not all of Harry's plans are bad." Ginny said trying to defend Harry. Neville only gave her a look and she rolled her eyes petulantly, after all it was Harry's plan to go down into the Chamber of Secrets and rescue her – that ended up as good as anybody could hope.

**The****re paired ****alarm ****clock ****rang ****at six ****o' clock** **the ****next ****morning. ****Harry ****turned ****it ****off ****quickly ****and ****dressed ****silently. ****He ****mustn't ****wake ****the ****Dursleys. ****He ****stole ****downstairs ****without ****turning ****on ****any ****of ****the ****lights.**

"It's not so bad," Michael said wondering what they were so worked up about.

"You watch though," Parvati said, "It's not going to end up well."

**He ****was ****going ****to ****wait ****for ****the ****post man ****on ****the ****corner ****of Privet ****Drive** **and ****get ****the ****letters ****for ****number ****four ****first. ****His ****heart ****hammered ****as ****he ****crept ****across ****the ****dark ****hall ****toward ****the ****front ****door**** —**

"**AAAAARRRGH!"**

**Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat — something _alive_!**

"Well, we found what went wrong," Terry laughed.

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face. Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.**

"**I ****want**** —****" ****he ****began, ****but ****Uncle ****Vernon ****was ****tearing ****the ****letters ****into ****pieces ****before ****his ****eyes.**

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.**

"**See," ****he ****explained ****to ****Aunt ****Petunia ****through ****a ****mouthful ****of ****nails, ****"if ****they ****can't **_**deliver **_**them ****they'll ****just ****give ****up."**

"**I'm ****not ****sure ****that'll ****work, Vernon."**

"At least _she_ doesn't think we are completely stupid," Anthony said.

"**Oh, ****these ****people's ****minds ****work ****in ****strange ****ways, ****Petunia, ****they're ****not ****like ****you ****and ****me," ****said ****Uncle ****Vernon, ****trying ****to ****knock ****in ****a ****nail ****with ****the ****piece ****of ****fruitcake ****Aunt ****Petunia ****had ****just ****brought ****him.**

"This is why fruitcakes are so disgusting," Lavender shuddered.

**On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.**

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

Ernie and Dennis started to laugh hysterically.

"He's finally cracked!" Ernie exclaimed. Dennis couldn't even speak he was laughing so hard.

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two-dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.**

"**Who ****on ****earth ****wants ****to ****talk ****to **_**you **_**this ****badly?" Dudley** **asked ****Harry ****in ****amazement.**

"A lot of people actually," Neville said thinking about himself.

"I know I wrote to him," Hannah laughed. Many other nodded as well, embarrassed by the fact.

"Ginny did," Luna said smiling at her. She went red as the whole D.A. laughed. Ginny had written letters to her hero, who had later become her boyfriend. They were all wondering whether or not Harry had actually received that letter.

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

"**No ****post ****on ****Sundays," ****he ****reminded ****them ****cheerfully ****as ****he ****spread ****marmalade ****on ****his ****newspapers, ****"no ****damn ****letters ****today**** —****"**

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one —**

"Why didn't he just pick one off the floor?" Zacharias asked.

"He's a seeker, it's in his blood," Colin told him happily.

Padma just rolled her eyes, "Or _maybe_, they aren't landing on the ground and are just blowing around the room.

Colin pouted, preferring his own answer.

"**Out! ****OUT!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

"**That ****does ****it," ****said ****Uncle ****Vernon, ****trying ****to ****speak ****calmly ****but ****pulling ****great ****tufts ****out ****of ****his ****mustache ****at ****the ****same ****time. ****"I ****want ****you ****all ****back ****here ****in ****five ****minutes ****ready ****to ****leave. ****We're ****going ****away. ****Just ****pack ****some ****clothes. ****No ****arguments!"**

**He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.**

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while.**

"**Shake****'em ****off****… ****shake****'em ****off," ****he ****would ****mutter ****whenever ****he ****did ****this.**

Dennis and Ernie started to laugh again.

**They ****didn't ****stop ****to ****eat ****or ****drink ****all ****day. ****By ****night fall Dudley** **was ****howling. ****He'd ****never ****had ****such ****a ****bad ****day ****in ****his ****life. ****He ****was ****hungry, ****he'd ****missed ****five ****television ****programs ****he'd ****wanted ****to ****see, ****and ****he'd ****never ****gone ****so ****long ****without ****blowing ****up ****an ****alien ****on ****his ****computer.**

"What a tragedy," Seamus said in a monotone.

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering…**

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

"'**Scuse ****me, ****but ****is ****one ****of ****you ****Mr. ****H. ****Potter? ****Only ****I ****got ****about ****an ****'undred ****of ****these ****at ****the ****front ****desk."**

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

_**Mr. H. Potter**_

_**Room 17**_

_**Railview Hotel**_

_**Cokeworth**_

"You can run, but you can't hide!" Terry laughed evilly.

"Don't do that, it's extremely disturbing," Susan told him.

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.**

"**I'll ****take ****them," ****said ****Uncle ****Vernon, ****standing ****up ****quickly ****and ****following ****her ****from ****the ****dining ****room.**

"**Wouldn't ****it ****be ****better ****just ****to ****go ****home, ****dear?" ****Aunt ****Petunia ****suggested ****timidly, ****hours ****later, ****but ****Uncle ****Vernon ****didn't ****seem ****to ****hear ****her.**

"She must have realized it was pointless to run," Anthony said.

**Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.**

"**Daddy's ****gone ****mad, ****hasn't ****he?" Dudley** **asked ****Aunt ****Petunia ****dully ****late ****that ****afternoon.**

"Even the pig has realized it!" Padma laughed.

**Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.**

**It ****started ****to ****rain. ****Great ****drops ****beat ****on ****the ****roof ****of ****the ****car. Dudley** **snivelled.**

"**It's ****Monday," ****he ****told ****his ****mother. ****"The ****Great ****Humberto's ****on ****tonight. ****I ****want ****to ****stay ****somewhere ****with ****a **_**television**_**."**

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it _was _Monday — and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television — then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.**

"Hey, that would have been my birthday!" Neville exclaimed happily.

"What? Your birthday's the day before Harry's?" asked Anthony.

Neville just nodded.

**Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun — last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.**

"Pathetic," Ginny said angrily.

**Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling.**

"Creepy…" Parvati muttered.

**He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.**

"**Found ****the ****perfect ****place!" ****he ****said. ****"Come ****on! ****Everyone ****out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.**

"**Storm ****forecast ****for ****tonight!" ****said ****Uncle ****Vernon ****gleefully, ****clapping ****his ****hands ****together. ****"And ****this ****gentleman's ****kindly ****agreed ****to ****lend ****us ****his ****boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowing boat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them.**

"**I've ****already ****got ****us ****some ****rations," ****said ****Uncle ****Vernon, ****"so ****all ****a board!"**

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.**

**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

"Nice place," Justin said sarcastically.

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas.**

"That's not a meal for four people, that's an afternoon snack!" Michael exclaimed.

"I know! As if he needs to be any skinnier," Neville said angrily.

**He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shrivelled up.**

"**Could ****do ****with ****some ****of ****those ****letters ****now, ****eh?" ****he ****said ****cheerfully.**

"Oh, he's going to get what's coming for him soon enough," Ginny said muttering under her breath.

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail.**

**Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

"Poor Harry. That must be awful." Padma sighed.

**As ****night ****fell, ****the ****promised ****storm ****blew ****up ****around ****them. ****Spray ****from ****the ****high ****waves ****splattered ****the ****walls ****of ****the ****hut ****and ****a ****fierce ****wind ****rattled ****the ****filthy ****windows. ****Aunt ****Petunia ****found ****a ****few ****mouldy ****blankets ****in ****the ****second ****room ****and ****made ****up ****a ****bed ****for Dudley** **on ****the ****moth-eaten ****sofa. ****She ****and ****Uncle ****Vernon ****went ****off ****to ****the ****lumpy ****bed ****next ****door, ****and ****Harry ****was ****left ****to ****find ****the ****softest ****bit ****of ****floor ****he ****could ****and ****to ****curl ****up ****under ****the ****thinnest, ****most ****ragged ****blanket.**

"These people just keep becoming worse and worse!" Hannah said sadly looking at the book.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.**

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.**

**Four ****minutes ****to ****go. ****May be ****the ****house ****in Privet ****Drive** **would ****be ****so ****full ****of ****letters ****when ****they ****got ****back ****that ****he'd ****be ****able ****to ****steal ****one ****somehow.**

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

"Oh no, the place is crumbling beneath them. They're all going to die!" Dennis moaned miserably.

"You know they don't die, Dennis!" Lavender snapped rolling her eyes.

**One ****minute ****to ****go ****and ****he'd ****be ****eleven. ****Thirty ****seconds****… ****twenty****… ****ten****… ****nine**** — ****maybe ****he'd ****wake Dudley** **up, ****just ****to ****annoy ****him**** – ****three**** … ****two**** … ****one**** …**

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!" everyone yelled.

**BOOM.**

Hannah yelled causing everyone to jump a mile out of their seats. No one knew such a small girl could have such a big voice.

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"Well that's an exciting ending," Ernie said cheerfully.

"Here, let me read now," Colin said and Hannah tossed it to him. He opened up where she left off and began to read.

**A/N: So thanks again and look forward to someone new coming very soon! So you better tell me if there is anyone else you want before next week!**

**Again so sorry for the late update!**


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